Dear Maine Fire Service Professionals:
As we reflect on the past year, the training and certification efforts made by everyone involved in the Maine Fire Service have had a tremendous impact. From our local fire departments, program coordinators, apparatus operators, to our skills testing and certification teams, all the municipal and State Fire Instructors that sacrifice time with family and friends to pass along the trade we so dearly love, to the support services folks that tirelessly transport trailers and props, each and every one of you plays an essential role in ensuring our firefighters are prepared to protect our communities across Maine.
The dedication displayed by all—whether you are on the ground providing local training, driving an apparatus to a training, providing other support, overseeing coordination, or managing the administrative responsibilities —has been nothing short of extraordinary. Your hard work ensures that our firefighters not only meet but exceed the rigorous standards required to keep our firefighters safe, but also the citizens they serve.
There is truly no way to quantify the positive impact you all have had. Every firefighter trained, every certification earned, and every skill perfected directly affects the safety of our communities, from the smallest towns to our largest cities here in Maine.
On behalf of the entire Maine Fire Service Institute, I thank you. Your work may often go unrecognized by the public but know that your contributions have an immeasurable effect on the safety and well-being of the people we serve in the State we love.
Together, we continue to uphold the values of excellence, dedication, and service that define the Maine Fire Service. I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you in the years to come. Please have a safe and happy holiday season and enjoy it with family and friends.
With the highest level of respect,
Director Jim Graves