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One of the other major highlights has been our partnership with the lo cal volunteer group BLING (Building Livability in New Gloucester). Chief Bouchard and Captain Gill have worked with BLING and the Red Cross to install 82 smoke detectors in 33 homes. This program demonstrated its effectiveness when we responded for a CO alarm. The homeowner was alerted to the dangerous condition through one of those 82 detectors. While we often have to assume fire prevention programs are working, see ing first-hand the success of our community’s collaborative efforts drives home the message of safety and prevention we strive to share. We look forward to serving our community with our expanded fire pre vention program, reaching those of all demographics. Additionally, we will begin developing pre-incident plans in our records management software. This will allow members to access information about specific buildings while on scene. Conclusion In conclusion, 2023 was a year of growth for our department. We had many members have personal accomplishments and growth that in turn contrib ute to our community as a whole. We had many members take the next step with their skill set, contributing to the betterment of the department. If there is one moment that sums up what New Gloucester Fire Rescue is about, it would be from the storm this past December. We had 11 addition al members come in to supplement the duty crew as we were inundated with calls. When there was a lull in the action and the command staff was catching up on incident documentation, the aroma of coffee and the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen caught my attention. Seeing the jok ing, the laughing, and the love of the job so often talked about alive in well at our firehouse kitchen table was refreshing. While at a moment’s notice they could all be on the rig and out the door, this moment was about love for one another, love for the job, and love for our community. To part with a quote from the movie Backdraft, “The funny thing about firemen…. Night and day they are always firemen.” Thank you to our community members who continually support us. As al ways, we are always looking for new members to apply. Please reach out and inquire about the variety of opportunities to help serve our community. We look forward to continuing to provide excellent service for our commu nity and visitors in 2024.

Respectfully submitted, Hale Fitzgerald Deputy Chief of Operations

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