The Maine Office of the State Fire Marshal and the University of Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center are nearing completion of a multiyear research project examining Maine’s fire service and community safety needs.  

According to an Oct. 16 Fire Marshal's Office news release, the effort grew from a 2019 Hancock County pilot, with statewide planning and grant applications underway in 2022 and statewide surveys conducted in 2025. Funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, the project represents hundreds of hours of research, data collection, interviews and analysis. 

The study surveyed 219 fire departments, along with code enforcement officers and municipal administrators. UMaine researchers independently conducted interviews with 25 fire chiefs across 14 counties to better understand these challenges and their effects on local communities. Challenges identified by local departments include an aging fire apparatus fleet, aging firefighters, daytime staffing shortages, and barriers to training and participation caused by lost wages and competing family obligations. 

State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler credited the UMaine research team, former State Fire Marshal Joe Thomas, former State Fire Marshal Rich McCarthy, Maine Senior Planner Richard Taylor and participating fire service leaders for their contributions to the project.  

“This work will help lawmakers make informed decisions affecting Maine’s fire service for years to come,” said Esler, in the news release. “It documents the challenges our firefighters face and gives us a clearer understanding of the support they need to continue protecting their communities.” 

“Maine’s volunteer fire departments are facing staffing challenges at a time when apparatus and equipment costs continue to rise,” said Dominic Piacentini, a research associate at the University of Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. “Many are working to reduce costs to taxpayers through grants, fundraising and delaying equipment replacement, but new investments are needed to ensure volunteer firefighters can continue serving their communities.” 

 The project’s recommendations focus on three areas: 

• Maintaining reliable statewide firefighter workforce information.
• Improving access to training by addressing distance, time, and cost barriers.
• Strengthening employer support so volunteer firefighters can participate in training and respond to emergencies.

A PowerPoint presentation summarizing the project and its findings is available on the Maine Office of the State Fire Marshal’s website. A comprehensive report will be published in early 2027.