Chief Martin to train in New Orleans

    ASHLAND, Maine – The chief of the Ashland Police Department is headed to Louisiana to learn how to use a new piece of equipment acquired by the department thanks to a $10,000 grant.
“The department received a grant through Homeland Security that will cover the cost of a thermal imager, as well as the expenses involved for me to go to New Orleans for two days of training,” said Cyr Martin, chief of the Ashland Police Department.
    Martin said he will leave April 29 for the two-day session.
“All my expenses will be paid thanks to the grant, including reimbursement for the cost of meals,” said Martin.
According to Martin, two other Aroostook County police departments also received similar grants.
“Houlton and Madawaska were also approved. Madawaska received an additional grant for equipment,” said Martin.
Having to work with a limited budget, such grants make it much easier to obtain equipment that might otherwise be out of reach financially.
“Any time we can get anything like this is great for us. Our budget is so low,” said Martin. “Sen. Susan Collins notified us that we’d been awarded the grant.”
Martin said the imager will be an asset to police in several ways.
“There’s the obvious – searching for lost people, such as hunters, snowmobilers and outdoor enthusiasts who may get lost in the many wooded areas around Ashland. We can also use the imager to locate animals – deer, moose, bear – that get hit by a vehicle and wander into the woods injured. This equipment can help us locate injured animals so we can do something to stop their suffering,” said Martin.
Finalizing the process required approval from the Town Council.
“The Council just approved the grant process. Having a thermal imager will allow our police department to better serve the community,” said Town Manager Jim Gardner.
Martin is looking forward to the training session and sharing what he learns when he returns.
“I’m excited about this. I’m looking forward to the trip and learning how to use the thermal imager. It’ll be a great asset to the department,” said Martin.