If earmark requests from Maine’s congressional delegation are approved, Howland and Corinna (ME) would receive a total of $4 million to outfit their respective fire departments with new buildings, reports bangordailynews.com.
Officials are asking for $1.7 million in federal funding to upgrade a building in Corinna to become a working firehouse. They also asked for $2.3 million to cover the cost of a new building that would house municipal offices and fire and emergency services for Howland and the communities the town’s department covers.
Despite having a population of just 1,207, Howland—which is 30 miles north of Bangor—is responsible for fire protection in more than a half-dozen communities that covers a 250-square-mile area, officials say. They add that smaller towns are facing ever-growing costs for equipment and a lack of volunteer personnel, forcing them to turn to departments like Howland’s, which is staffed around the clock.
The Howland Fire Department provides fire services for Maxfield, Passadumkeag, Burlington, Seboeis Plantation, Mattamiscontis, Brownsville, and a few other unincorporated areas, officials say.
In Corinna, crews have long been responsible for protecting neighboring Exeter, which pays Corinna $25,000 a year for the coverage. Corinna also has mutual-aid agreements with towns including Newport, Dexter, and St. Albans, the report says.
Howland’s current station, built for a volunteer force, lacks space. Corinna’s current station has water issues and can’t fit all the equipment.