Maine Fire Chiefs President Views Robbins Lumber Probe as Learning Opportunity

Liberty Fire Chief Bill Gillespie, president of the Maine Fire Chiefs Association, is framing the state’s investigation into the response at the Robbins Lumber fire as an opportunity to learn what could be done better.

This assessment follows a May incident where the Maine Bureau of Labor Standards issued citations to six area fire departments for lacking an effective firefighter tracking system.

The incident drew nearly 300 firefighters from about 46 departments, according to the Fire Marshal’s Office. The scale of the response and the site's complexity made scene management difficult, and officials are now evaluating the challenges.

The Logistical Reality of Multi-Agency Fires

Gillespie said that the nature of the emergency—which included three fire trucks that were burning—complicated standard operating procedures for tracking personnel.

Maine Fire Chiefs’ Association president responds to Robbins Lumber investigation — WABI | Maine Local News, Weather, Sports

“With all the volunteer departments that were there, the accountability portion would have been a challenge from the beginning, just based on the fact that we had three fire trucks that were burning. And a lot of times the accountability tags are put on the side of the fire trucks to associate that they’re there with that company, said Bill Gillespie, Liberty Fire Chief and president of the Maine Fire Chiefs Association.”

The practice of affixing accountability tags to the side of apparatus is a method used to associate firefighters with their company. When fire consumes the equipment, the system is challenged.

Legislative Push for Volunteer Department Support

The Maine Fire Chiefs Association is working on legislative proposals to help volunteer departments. These proposals aim to address funding needs for department readiness.

Liberty Fire Chief Bill Gillespie, president of the Maine Fire Chiefs Association, said he views the state’s investigation of the Robbins Lumber response much like an after-action review: an opportunity to learn what could be done better. pic.twitter.com/9J3KKc7ZXT

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The association is currently advocating for state-level funding to support two critical pillars of department readiness:

Funding for firefighter certifications.
The construction of new training facilities across the state.

Gillespie confirmed that his own department, Liberty Fire and Rescue, is looking at the same accountability program many other departments are adopting.

Maine Bureau of Labor Standards Cites Fire Departments for Tracking Deficiencies

The Maine Bureau of Labor Standards cited six area fire departments for lacking an effective firefighter tracking system during the response to the Robbins Lumber fire. While the investigation highlighted deficiencies in the May response, Gillespie views the oversight as an opportunity to learn what could be done better regarding how departments coordinate during large-scale mutual aid events.

As the Maine Fire Chiefs Association prepares its legislative agenda, the focus remains on funding for firefighter certifications and the construction of new training facilities.