OWLS HEAD — Emergency personnel from all sectors showed off their vehicles and their specialties and took advantage of the opportunity to learn about each other during the inaugural First Responder Weekend at Owls Head Transportation Museum, June 27-28, 2026. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is already thinking about next year, having enjoyed interacting with the public, according to Capt. Arthur Smith, away from the serious situations that usually dominate their attention.

The Responder show, which also happens to be the first major summer outdoor event at OHTM this year, has been in the works for a couple of years, according to Jim Bottero, OHTM executive director.

“One of the things we are very passionate about is the people who keep us safe,” he said. “Even before everything went down on May 15, our intention was to bring in fire department, police department, Warden Service” and more.

The Forest Service landed a helicopter at the event. A display of historical restoration of fire trucks came from Hope. A sampling of vehicle emergency lights came from Friendship. Survive Your Drive, from the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety, brought a crash simulator, which promotes seatbelt usage. A State Trooper opened his cruiser doors. LifeFlight had intended to come, but “their planes are saving lives today,” said Bottero.

The newly established Firefighter Foundation brought a silent auction fundraiser and a dunk tank to help fund its mission to help financially support responders in need. (see our article here)

Visitors saw examples of confiscated weaponry (mostly knives) that people have tried to sneak into courthouses, and a working ice cream maker produced from a repurposed vintage engine, with all proceeds designated to the Firefighter Foundation.

Visitors watched fire department demonstrations and took the Maine Judicial Marshal’s challenge to find metal bits, using a detector wand, that were hidden in cups of rice. Those who stopped to talk to Ron Morin, of Wilton, may have learned about Honor Guard processions for EMS providers who either died in the line of duty or made significant impacts in the world of emergency medicine. Morin brought his Emergency! squad 51 replica and sold shirts as a fundraiser for his nonprofit Squad 51 History and Education project.

“It’s just amazing to be able to see all of the different people in this community and [to provide] a way for them to get together,” said Bottero.

And as the din inside the event tarmac was occasionally sliced with random sirens, cruiser horns, chopper blades, and motors, outside the ticket gates was the beep, beep, ba-beep of Morse code coming from theAmerican Radio Relay Field Day (ARRL)for amateur radio enthusiasts. Hosted by the  Pen Bay Amateur Radio Club (W1PBR), the 24-hour domestic contest connected ham radio members with others throughout the U.S. and beyond. Approximately 10 people manned the OHTM site through the 2 p.m., June 27 to 2 p.m., June 28 event (they unplugged all electronics during the 2 a.m. lightning storm). They talked to “everybody from Nova Scotia to Hawaii,” according to a visiting participant from North Carolina. But, others from around the world chime in as well.

Jim Gulvin, of Virginia, drove up for the summer and looked for local field days to be a part of. Gulvin is a member of the Potomac Valley Radio Club in, (call number W4TMO).

“Sometimes you’ll go for 10-15 minutes and nobody will be there," said Gulvin. "And all of a sudden there will be ten in a row."