By TONI-LYNN ROBBINS
Bangor Daily News (Maine)
Copyright 2006 Bangor Daily News
While most students spend their freshman year of college testing the boundaries of their newfound independence, 10 fire science students taking classes at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor live for the opportunity to become Maine’s next firefighters.
The students live in modest quarters in the basements and common rooms of local fire stations, fully immersed in the firefighter experience for two years.
“This is a lot more structured than college dorm life,” Jared Bowden, 18, a resident of Bucksport and a live-in student for the Holden Fire Department, said recently.
A lot more structure - and responsibility.
Last week, Bowden, a certified emergency medical technician, crawled out of bed at 1:30 a.m. to respond to a medical call in town. Although he had class at 9 the next morning, Bowden finished the paperwork for the call after returning to the station and did not return to the warmth of his bed until 2:45 a.m.
“I just basically had to push through the day,” Bowden said with his “it’s just a part of the job” attitude.
Studying, besides the daily on-the-job training, is completed during slow times at the station or before classes at the college, Bowden said.
Some fire departments, such as Hermon’s, designate study time for live-in students, but finding quiet time in a bustling station can be difficult.
At the Hermon Fire Department, live-in students Chandler Corriveau, 18, of Caribou and Corey Tibbetts, 18, of Industry have bunkbeds stacked in the corner of a room referred to as the station’s day room, meeting room, kitchen and bedroom.
Large closets, which hold the young firefighters’ personal belongings, serve as a barrier between the sleeping quarters and the two couches, television, table and kitchenette area of the room.
Only live-in students are allowed in the room past 10 p.m., so the two can get their rest.
“It could be a lot worse,” Corriveau said, leaning on the arm of the common room’s couch.
Local fire chiefs recognize participating in the live-in program is a large commitment, yet they believe the experience gained by the students is unmatched.
“These kids are giving up a lot of social activities because here there’s not a lot of room for that,” Holden Fire Department Chief Jim Ellis said. “They are responding to car accidents and fires and very serious situations, rather than having fun. But if they [put their] best effort forward, they’re ready to go [once they complete school].”
The live-in program is coordinated through the fire science program at EMMC, which is a satellite of the main program at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland. Any fire science student can apply to the live-in program but must maintain a C average in school and pass every class, Bill Leighton, fire science technology education coordinator, said.
The live-in program began in Holden in 1998, but the idea has caught on, expanding to seven area departments. There are 10 students living among the fire stations of Glenburn, Levant, Hermon, Holden, Hampden, Ellsworth and Milford.
While departments benefit from housing the students, the students also benefit from the program, Ellis said. In addition to unparalleled hands-on experience, the students receive free room and board, and some departments pay for one of their EMCC fire science classes, including the books.
“What happens is, the students become the backbone of the fire facility,” Ellis said. “The student firefighters are still the first ones out the door, and other firefighters work hand in hand with them.”
Minutes become crucial late at night, since many firefighters live miles from the station, Ellis said. On average, it takes 10 to 15 minutes for an ambulance to get to Holden. Once the live-in students become EMTs and are certified to drive the trucks, they can respond to a medical call in four to six minutes.
“If Bangor fire [department]is hiring tomorrow, they know live-in students are good to grab; they live, eat and breathe the fire station,” Lt. Ryan Davis, former live-in student in Holden and now full-time firefighter for the Holden department, said Friday.
Although school has been in session for just two weeks, all the new live-in students completed a two-week training before classes began, where they earned their Firefighter I certification. At that training they all met for the first time.
“We all get along great. We’ve been doing pretty much everything together,” Chris Beaumont, 18, of East Millinocket said. He lives at the Holden station and has been designated company commander of the group.
The strong bond is also shared between full- and part-time department staffers and the students.
"[The full-time firefighters] have pretty much taken us under their wing and are always willing to help us,” Shawn Elser, 17, of Albion, who lives in the Ellsworth Fire Department, said. “And with them always in the station, we get home-cooked meals every day.”
His only complaint - he misses his girlfriend.