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Success Stories

Eight-bell Turns a Thing of the Past for the Corinna Fire Department

Leigh Hallett
Community Facilities
First Responders
Infrastructure
Senator Susan Collins stands with members of the Corinna Fire Department and others at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new fire station.
Senator Susan Collins cuts the ribbon to officially open the new Corinna Fire Station while surrounded by volunteer fire fighters. (Standing at the ribbon to Senator Collins' right is Town Manager Lois Jones, and to her right is USDA Rural Development Loan Specialist Nathan Persinger.)
Members of the Corinna Fire Department break ground for the new fire station in July 2023.
The Corinna Fire Department groundbreaking ceremony July 31, 2023 (from left to right: Shawn Richards, Jeff Dorman, Allen Emerson, T.J. Emerson, John Bridges and Shawn Henderson).

Less than one year after breaking ground on a new fire station, the fire department in the Town of Corinna, Maine moved into a brand-new facility. The move represented years of hard work and collaboration on the part of town officials, the volunteer fire fighters, Senator Susan Collins, and USDA Rural Development’s Community Facilities team.

The former fire station in Corinna was built in 1952. It had room for three trucks, two small offices, and minimal storage. Not only was it too small to accommodate modern equipment, but the old structure had also sustained water damage and deterioration. Chief Alan Emerson recalled that in the old station, one of the trucks would only fit into the station sideways, squeezed into the very back. ("That was an eight-bell turn!" he said.) New trucks wouldn’t fit in the old station because the doors were too low. The space was so crowded that the firefighters struggled to find space to grab their gear and suit up when responding to emergencies. The roof and walls leaked, and the bathroom facilities were minimal.

The Corinna Fire Department is pictured. It has grey siding and white trim, with offices on the left and 5 bays on the right.
The Corinna Fire Department moved into the new station in late July, 2023. 

With help from volunteers, the 25-member, all-volunteer Corinna Fire Department moved into the station in late July of 2024. The new facility has multiple storage bays to accommodate equipment such as pumper, tanker, and forestry trucks, plus specialized equipment such as an all-terrain vehicle and future rescue boat. The new station also includes office space for the fire department officers as well as State Police and sheriffs who need to conduct work. The Department’s Emergency Medical Technicians also have work and storage areas. The new station has ample space with room for future needs.

The town held a ribbon cutting ceremony of August 9, 2024. The groundbreaking ceremony was just a year earlier, on July 31, 2023. Senator Collins participated in the event, sharing remarks and cutting the ceremonial ribbon. In the months ahead, the Department intends to dedicate areas of the new station in remembrance of former firefighters. “Although first responders may pass away,” said Senator Collins, “Their spirit of commitment never dies.”

A red side-by-side all terrain vehicle is pictured inside the Corinna Fire Department.
The Department's new all terrain vehicle was purchased with a grant from Firehouse Subs. Firefighters will use it year round to respond to emergencies in rough terrain. 

USDA Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson also participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture may be a federal agency, but here in Maine, our Rural Development staff live in communities just like Corinna. We understand the critical value of local fire stations. We know how important it is to ensure fire department staff and volunteers have a safe, comfortable place to gather, work, and train,” she said.

Director Hampson celebrated the spirit of collaboration that resulted in the construction of the new station. Senator Collins and Senator King and their staffs worked hard to secure the federal funding. USDA staff worked with local leaders to facilitate the process and help keep the project on track. Other businesses contributed, such as Firehouse Subs, which awarded the Department a grant to purchase a new side-by-side all terrain vehicle for emergency response.

Fire Chief Allen Emerson directed praise to Town Manager Lois Jones. “She is 100% behind the fire department,” he said. “She got us this grant, and also got funding for new turnout gear, and the Firehouse Subs grant for the ATV.  She has saved the taxpayers in this town a lot of money, and the Department now has the right gear and the space necessary to work.”

The Corinna Fire Department covers Exeter and has mutual aid agreements with Dexter, Newport, Garland, Corinth, St. Albans, Hartland, and Levant, responding to about 100 calls annually.

Two fire trucks are pictured parked in front of the Corinna Fire Department on a rainy day. The paved driveway is wet with rain and the red trucks are reflected. The station at the rear is grey.
Though it rained on the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, that didn't dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd of area residents who gathered to celebrate the new facility. 
Obligation Amount:
$1.7M
Year(s) of Obligation:
Congressional District:
  • Maine: District 2