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| Chief Scott Susi |
By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — The obvious duties of a community’s fire department are to extinguish fires and rescue victims. Some fire departments like the Caribou Fire & Ambulance Department also carry a staff of paramedics to respond to medical emergencies. One other function that is important to the department is to provide educational programs to the public, especially children, to help them learn how to avoid starting a fire and stay safe in the event of one.
One of the programs the fire department hosts is Learn Not to Burn. Elementary schoolchildren from RSU 39 and School Union 122 visit the fire station and are taught not to play with matches or other flammable materials and how to get out of a burning building safely. According to Caribou Fire Chief Scott Susi, the Learn Not to Burn program is successful.
“We’ve brought hundreds of children through since we started the program,” Susi said, “and we’ve seen a huge decrease in fire calls.”
Another program the CFAD offers to educate children on health and safety issues is called Tommy Trauma. Second- and third-grade students are shown a movie on the use of 9-1-1 and how important it is not to abuse the emergency system. They then get to witness a live mock situation demonstrating a health emergency, teaching them how to remain calm and call 9-1-1. This also allows the children to be exposed to medical equipment so that they can learn not to be afraid if they are ever faced with being involved in an actual medical emergency.
Older youth are able to participate in the Junior Firefighter program, where high school students are trained to perform the same duties as full-time firefighters, with the exception of actually going to a fire due to their age. The students perform all the duties that are required around the station and their work as a junior firefighter counts towards their community service credits.
According to Susi, the program usually averages about eight students per year, and about 90 percent of the students who participate in the Junior Firefighter program go on to become volunteer firefighters. Susi advised that this year there are two females who are in the program, one of whom desires to become a firefighter as a career.
The CFAD Honor Guard is another program the department sponsors to serve the community. The group is made up of volunteer firefighters who post colors at public events such as the annual September 11 memorial service, ceremonies at the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery, funerals and parades. According to Susi, members of the Honor Guard work hard and have struggled financially to get set up with items like uniforms and flags.
Other projects the department works on throughout the year include hanging the city’s Christmas lights, a community fire extinguisher education program and their annual toy drive, which is always a huge success and a rewarding experience for members of the department.
“The toy drive is an ever-growing project,” Susi commented. “This past year we had a huge outpouring with toys left over. The guys do it every year without complaint.”
Funds for these programs are raised at events like comedian Bob Marley’s and hypnotist Marco the Magician’s regular performances at the Caribou Performing Arts Center.
“We try not to have something every month,” said Susi, “so that we don’t overwhelm people. But the events that we do have are always a huge success.”
Susi advised that without the public’s support, none of these programs would be possible.
“The entire department is so grateful to everyone for all that they do,” Susi said.
Comedian Marley performed to benefit the department in November of 2012 and CFAD is currently working on getting Marco to perform tentatively in April of this year.
For more information on CFAD public education programs, contact the station at 493-4204.
