The Knox County Fire Training Academy proudly announces the successful completion of its 2025 Firefighter I & II class. This dedicated group of 16 students, representing towns across Knox County and beyond—including Owls Head, Hope, Rockport, Rockland, Thomaston, Belfast, Freeport, Searsmont, Cushing, Union, Gardiner, and St. George—has completed one of the most rigorous foundational programs in the fire service.

The course demands approximately 180 hours of classroom instruction, in addition to countless hours of self-study and hands-on practice. Each student has shown exceptional commitment, balancing the intense demands of training with their ongoing responsibilities as members of paid on call fire departments.

The final hurdle of the program was a hands-on assessment where students demonstrated proficiency in 9 randomly selected skills from a pool of over 260. These evaluations, alongside a comprehensive written exam, were administered by the Maine Fire Service Institute (MFSI) through their Pro Board-accredited process. Those who passed both components have now earned nationally recognized Pro Board certification.

Most of the 16 students in this class serve as on call members on their home departments—a powerful reminder of the critical role on call firefighters play in keeping our communities safe. In a time when many rural departments struggle with staffing, the dedication of these individuals to train at a professional level speaks volumes about the spirit of service in our region.

Each fire department in the county faces the same situation: a need for able-bodied individuals willing to step up and serve their communities. The Rockland Fire Department is the only full- time fire department in Knox County. While some other larger departments have adopted a "full- time" model, it is primarily for EMS services, and they still rely heavily on on-call members to respond to calls when needed.

Knox County is at a critical level for firefighters to serve in this capacity. With increasing demands from full-time careers and families, it is challenging to find people who can commit the time required to become a member of a paid on-call department. As a community, we need to overcome this challenge. Most paid on-call departments require two weeknights per month (6-9 PM) for training and approximately 5-10 hours per month for calls. Imagine if you had an emergency and the fire department arrived with only one or two firefighters. Under the current state, that is possible.

If you are an able-bodied person and would like to step up to help your community in a way that is rewarding and fulfilling, you are encouraged to reach out to your local fire department and get started. The hardest part is initiating the process; once that is done, you are well on your way.

“The success of this class is a testament to the resilience, grit, and community-mindedness of Maine’s volunteer firefighters,” said Mike Lunt, Knox County Training Academy’s Lead Instructor. “These individuals show up not for a paycheck, but for their neighbors. And they’ve now shown they’re willing to meet the same standards expected of career firefighters across the country. Every student leaves this class knowing this is not the end of their training, but just the beginning.”

Last year’s class resulted in 20% of its students becoming career firefighters in the county, and judging by the sentiment of this new group, we are likely to repeat that statistic.

Ongoing training like this is not only necessary, it’s vital. It ensures that every firefighter, on call or career, is prepared to respond safely and effectively in the face of emergencies. The Knox County Fire Training Academy remains committed to providing accessible, high-quality training that supports the growth and readiness of our region’s fire service. We believe to be successful, we must learn from the past, to train for the present, while keeping our eyes on the future.