By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — Casco Fire Chief Brian Cole justified continuing to keep open the South Casco fire station as well as Central Station, despite staffing shortages.  

The ultimate goal is to have one new, larger and up-to-code fire station, he said. After all, that is what was recommended by a feasibility study that was completed by Port City Architecture at the beginning of 2023.

In the meantime, two stations are in operation to serve the community.

Cole has been trying to address the staffing issue by hiring a full-time person. While hiring two full-time employees would be the magic number, Central Station does not have the space to accommodate two more sleeping quarters, he said. For now, one proposal is to create more space through dividers. That is one solution that could be pursued until a new station is built.

Last week, Chief Cole appeared before the Casco Board of Selectmen. Cole was on the agenda at the request of Selectman Rob MacDonald who asked for an update on apparatus, personnel, and Station No. 2.

“Apparatus we are good on right now. One ambulance needs some service. The new engine has a punch list; it needs to go to the dealer and have some things taken care of,” Cole said.

“I received two applications for full-time positions. I’ve done one interview for the full-time position. We’re still going through the process. If we fill that position, we still have one other opening. If I can hire one more full-time position, that will cover all four shifts with one full-time person. Everything else is augmented by per diem staff,” he said.

More space would be helpful, he said.

“Until we have more staffing and more space to take that staff on . . . We have expanded as far as we can expand. We are pushing at the seams,” he said.

“In working through the staffing issue with a management team and trying to come up with our next solution or proposal — I’ve talked to the town manager about this and he said to bring it to the board. We don’t have any more space for people to sleep at the station. If we build a couple dividing walls in the meeting room upstairs, I could move my assistant out of my offices and into that room, and turn that into another sleeping room,” Cole said. “That is my plan. There is money in the budget. We are looking at 20 feet worth of wall. Probably, I could make the change for a couple grand.”

During the Dec. 5 meeting, Cole defended keeping Station No. 2 open.

“Company 2 is in tandem with apparatus and personnel. If I’m not at full staff for the day, which is four on shift. If only have two or three on shift, they run out of Central,” the fire chief said. 

MacDonald responded.

“I haven’t seen apparatus there for almost a year now,” he said.

Cole said that wasn’t the case. Public safety vehicles are there.

“We are heading into winter again. We have another building that is requiring heat and service. And it’s sitting empty,” MacDonald said.

Again, Cole explained that Station No. 2 is being used.

“We still have people coming to the door,” he said. “Casco is not exclusive to this problem. It is everywhere. If I had the magic answer, I would probably be paid a lot more . . . ”

First, Chairman Scott Avery interjected, commenting on how nice it was to see someone jumping on one of the engines.

Then, MacDonald softened his tone.

“I am not being critical of what you do. You do a great job,” he said.

Cole only said, “It is so frustrating.”

MacDonald said he drives by the station on Brown Avenue twice a day.

“From my view, it is empty. I never see anyone there other than a sheriff,” he said.

At that point, Cole talked about staffing and turned the discussion to building a new station. Earlier on the agenda, the board had rehashed its goals for 2024.

“You went through goals, and I didn’t hear anything about the fire station, which is disappointing. Nothing is getting cheaper. The longer we kick the can down the road, the more it is going to cost us. Working with that feasibility study, we paid good money for, the recommendation came back. I didn’t write that report,” Cole said.

“Yes, we can rehab central station, but it is going to cost us $5 million because we have to bring everything up to code. A new proposed station is 17,500 square feet (SF). As it was originally designed, stick built, the price tag was $9.2 million. That is based on $530 per square foot for commercial construction. Working with an architect, we could do a pre-engineered bay section, which is 9,500 SF, and get it down to $300 per square foot. The new updated price if we said, ‘Yes!’ right now, it would be $7 million,” he said.

“Like I said, we can continue to discuss it for years and years, and we aren’t going to get that number to change — not in the direction we want,” he concluded.

“I am trying to keep the conversation alive,” Cole added. “There is nothing else I can do.”