Fire Chiefs Award Resilience, Excellence

The fire chiefs of Lincoln County recognized excellence and resilience in the members of their service at an annual business meeting and award ceremony in the South Bristol fire station on Wednesday, Aug. 16.

Awards were given to individuals and departments to recognize community merit, lifetime achievement, and notable service.
Roy Potter, Lincoln County Fire Chiefs Association president and the Edgecomb fire chief, began the award ceremony.

In order to encourage engagement, the winners were introduced by the person who nominated them for the award, Potter said.
Nobleboro Fire Chief Richard “Moose” Genthner nominated Joanne Kroll, owner of the Nobleboro Village Store, for the Community Merit Award for her active involvement with the town and the Nobleboro Fire Department.

The award is given to an individual or business that provides either aid to the fire service or public during an emergency, or to assist an agency in accomplishing their goal of public safety.

Kroll has owned the Nobleboro Village Store since 2014.

Potter presented the Chief Bob Maxcy Lifetime Achievement Award to Richard Spofford for his years of exemplary service as chief of the department.

The award recognizes a retired chief officer of a department for their longevity and dedication in the fire service for more than 25 years.

Spofford was nominated by Boothbay Fire Chief David Pratt, officers of the fire department, Boothbay Town Manager Dan Bryer, and the town’s select board.

 

“Years ago, when I took over as chief of the Edgecomb Fire Department, this individual was my sounding board,” Potter said. “(Spofford) has always led by example with his calm demeanor, no matter what the situation.”

Spofford also won the President’s Award, given at the discretion of the Lincoln County Fire Chiefs Association president, for his service to the county.

Spofford was Boothbay fire chief for 22 years and spent almost 45 total years with the department.

Damariscotta Fire Chief John Roberts presented the Firefighter of the Year Award to Frederick Brewer for his 25-plus years of work with the Massasoit Engine Co., which provides firefighting services to Damariscotta.

“Fred has over 2,000 hours of documented training and call response time, a feat not many are able to accomplish on volunteer-based companies,” Roberts said. “His service of 28 years stands as an example of how much impact one firefighter can have on the service and community.”

Brewer first joined the fire company in 1995.

Roberts presented the Fire Department of the Year Award to the Bremen Fire Department for members’ resilience and response to the sudden passing of former Fire Chief Donald Leeman, who had served in Lincoln County fire service for almost 40 years.

“Dealing with tragedy is all too common among emergency services, and it is how we react to these tragedies that help define us,” Roberts said. “Many departments have been crippled by smaller circumstances, devastated in ways that take years to recover from. The firefighters and officers from Bremen, however, took a brief period to grieve and then went back to work. They united around the same drive that pushed Donnie to seek improvement within the department and the town.”

Before the meeting concluded, Waldoboro Fire Chief Paul Smeltzer recognized Richard W. Glidden, a member of the Waldoboro Fire Department, who had just celebrated his 90th birthday in June and received his pin for 65 years of fire service in Waldoboro.

“Still at 90 years old, he’s one of the first ones at the station for every call,” Smeltzer said. “We can’t nominate him for an award because he’s already won them all.”