For the first time in 32 years, the town of Alna has a new fire chief.
During the Alna Volunteer Fire Department’s annual meeting March 25, the membership elected assistant chief Mike Averill to succeed retiring Fire Chief Mike Trask. The Alna Select Board officially confirmed Averill’s appointment at its meeting Thursday, April 2.
Averill is a 21-year veteran of the Alna Fire Department and has served as the Alna’s assistant chief for the last four or five years, he said.
Aside from an ongoing effort to coordinate mutual training with surrounding towns Averill said he isn’t planning any new programs or policies. Thanks in part to Trask’s efforts, the department is in excellent shape, he added.
“I am not planning anything special,” he said. “We are going to do some more mutual aid training with the towns around us. Get used to working with each other instead of just in the heat of the moment.”
He invited anyone with an interest in the fire department to ask a firefighter, connect through the department’s Facebook page, or stop by the station at 1579 Alna Road (Route 218) on Wednesday nights after 6:30 p.m. when the department holds its weekly meetings.
Trask, who was first elected in 1994 to succeed Averill’s father Jeff Averill in the role, announced plans to step down earlier this year following a promotion and a related change in his work schedule at his employer, Bath Iron Works.
