Located in the Highlands region of Maine, the town of Greenville has long been a vacation destination. In recent years, the community has welcomed even more visitors pursuing outdoor recreation and lakeside living. While the influx of seasonal residents and tourists has been good for area businesses, it also puts an increasing burden on fire, police, and EMT services. Town leaders knew they had to modernize their public safety facility to maximize efficiency for their small corps of staff and volunteer emergency responders. Under the guidance of Town Manager Mike Roy, the little town with a population of fewer than 1500 people built a new 20,000 square-foot public safety building in the heart of town, paid for in part with a USDA Rural Development Community Facilities grant.

In use since the spring of 2024, the new facility is a victory for the community, where the need for emergency services has been rising at a rapid clip. Greenville’s emergency responders cover not only the town but also the massive area in and around Moosehead Lake, with its more than 400 miles of coastline and 80 islands. The town has just three full-time police officers, one full-time fire chief, and about ten volunteer firefighters on any given day, so the responders need an efficient workspace and good equipment to do their jobs successfully. Replacing a 60-year-old structure, the modern new facility should serve the town’s needs for years to come.

Functionality, efficiency, and safety were priorities in designing the building. It is equipped with critical features like specialized equipment to decontaminate and launder firefighters’ uniforms and an exhaust removal system for the fire truck bays. It is also spacious, with a large community room, separate police and fire department offices, exercise and bunk space for rescue staff, and ample storage and truck bays. Says Police Chief Jim Carr, “The new facility represents growth not only for the Town of Greenville, but the Moosehead Lake region as well. It offers appropriate space to complete the job. It also offers room for a regional training center for both Fire and Police and has been designed to allow for area expansion 50 years out.” 

Local Rural Development staff supported Mike Roy and his team as they completed the paperwork for the Community Facilities Grant, finalized plans for the structure, and managed the budget. Mike Roy cites the USDA architect, Bill, and loan specialist, Nathan, as being particularly helpful. (“The support from Rural Development was amazing,” said Mike. “Nathan made the process understandable. When a problem arose, he’d say, ‘We’ll get through this,’ and he’d find a way to make it work.”)

Greenville’s Rural Development Community Facilities Grant was awarded through the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process. This means that Maine’s two legislators, U.S. Senator Susan Collins and U.S. Senator Angus King, both advocated for the project and secured the federal appropriations legislation necessary. When the funding was announced, Town Manager Roy noted that “This facility would not be possible without the help and support of Senator Collins and Senator King. Their support represents federal dollars, not only coming back to Maine, but coming our region.” 

USDA Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson echoed that sentiment, saying, “Greenville’s new public safety building highlights the collaboration between our Congressional Delegation and USDA Rural Development. Together we are bringing Community Facilities investments to rural Maine towns, leveraging federal dollars to modernize infrastructure and meet the needs of locals and visitors.”