Tim Nangle: Remembering 9/11, Honoring first responders

By Senator Tim Nangle

On September 11, we honor the memory of all those innocent lives tragically lost that day twenty-three years ago. We also remember the bravery and sacrifices of our first responders, who, without hesitation, answered the emergency call. While we hope never to experience an emergency to that scale in our communities, when we do call 9-1-1, we are counting on someone being there to respond. The events of 9/11 put a spotlight on the critical relationship between our communities and first responders, the role they play and the short- and long-term risks they take to keep us safe.

State Senator Tim Nangle

I’ve spent my life dedicated to public safety, first, as a 9-1-1 dispatcher, firefighter, and a police officer. I became a paramedic in 1998 and worked in cities north of Boston. I moved to Maine almost 35 years ago and started a family while serving in the Portland Fire Department for 27 years. While at Portland Fire, I started a blood drive program called “Roll Up Your Sleeves and Remember,” which was held on September 11. Because of this experience, I know how difficult and important is to ensure we have safely staffed, trained, and equipped personnel across police, fire, and emergency medical services so all can respond together. While some communities in my district rely on volunteers, all departments are struggling to keep services running with limited town, state and federal support.

Recently, there has been significant discussion about new federal emergency response standards from OSHA. While improving safety for EMS personnel is a valid goal, these regulations must consider the unique challenges facing Maine’s underfunded, volunteer-dependent departments. For example, Casco, with a year-round population of about 3,700 that swells to over 20,000 in the summer, could face severe challenges in complying with these standards. Chief Brian Cole of Casco Fire Rescue has raised concerns about the feasibility of meeting these requirements without additional financial support. Casco’s department handles up to 900 emergency calls a year with a combination of per diem and volunteer staff and doesn’t have the budget or staff time to implement these new regulations.

With already thin budgets and growing call volumes, our EMS departments are stretched to their limits. Any new federal regulations must support rather than strain these vital services. We’ve made some progress on these issues in Augusta, but we need bipartisan cooperation to allocate the necessary money.

Last year, we made a historic $31 million investment in EMS to sustain at-risk services statewide, ensuring that rural and underserved communities continue receiving emergency medical care when they need it most. We secured funding for the Length of Service Award Program, offering benefits to volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel, and invested in fire training facilities to keep our firefighters well-prepared.

This year, we passed legislation to increase MaineCare reimbursement rates for EMS providers. This simple change would have brought over $22 million in federal funding and allowed providers to be reimbursed for non-transport calls, vital to the public, but costly to the local taxpayer. Despite being supported by lawmakers in both chambers, the Appropriations Committee did not fund the bill. I’m committed not to giving up because we must ensure our EMS departments have the resources they need to serve their communities.

In the next legislative session, I will continue to advocate for our first responders in Augusta and beyond, ensuring they have the money, tools, training, and support they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. Whether through increasing MaineCare reimbursements, improving pay and benefits for first responders, or securing additional federal funding for departments, I remain committed to ensuring that no community is left without the emergency services they depend on.

As we honor all the lives lost on 9/11, let it also be a reminder of the tireless work of our first responders right here in Maine, who protect us every day, and how we must continue to support these essential services.

Contact me directly at Timothy.Nangle@legislature.maine.gov or call the Senate Majority Office at 207-287-1515. For the latest updates, follow me on Facebook at facebook.com/SenatorTimNangle, and sign up for my e-newsletter at mainesenate.org. <