West Gardiner Fire Department

06/07/2026

06/05/2026

Good morning, West Gardiner.
We would like to provide some information regarding 2 articles that are presented in this year's Town Warrant for Fire Department Capital Improvements.

The 1st, Article 33 asks the voters for approval for the refurbishment of our Fire Station/Public Meeting Place floor. We have asked for this funding because the current floor surface is 18 years old and the finish has deteriorated from wear and tear. The floor now has several cracks and is stained due to the lack of epoxy protecting it. The new floor would be an industrial Epoxy floor (Liquid Floor), Gray in color and striped as the existing floor is.
We encourage anyone who wishes to stop by and take a look at the existing floor when we are open before town meeting, so you may make an informed decision based on your own opinion.
Chief Gross will also gladly meet any resident at the station any time if we are not open to give residents access and show why we are asking for this funding. In the end, this is Your facility, and you will decide the path forward.

The second is article 34, this article asks the voters to approve the replacement of the Pond Road Fire Station. This station many years ago, was a 1 room schoolhouse, later an auxiliary hall with an attached Lean-to which housed a fire truck. The building and property were subsequently donated to the Town by the Couture family. When use as an Auxiliary hall ceased in the late 1970's, the Fire Department removed the wooden floor from the Hall, and placed a concrete floor within the Field Stone Footing and began using the main section of the building as the Pond Road Fire Station, now known as the Bob White Pond Road Station.
This station now houses a 2000-gallon pumper tanker- Engine 5, which is an important apparatus for fire protection on the east side of West Gardiner. Our insurance rating (ISO) rating would increase without this station and apparatus in place, due to the distance from the central station to the east side of town. Over the last several years, the building has suffered significant deterioration, the sills are slowly rotting, some sections of wall above the sills are rotted, the roof is failing and the entire exterior is in need of a complete face lift. After site visits with the selectboard and review of the condition, it was determined that the existing structure was not suitable for continued capital investment as the amount of money required to repair it would be substantial, and the investment into such an old structure would not be wise. Additionally, the existing structure has no running water other than 1 hose to wash apparatus, and no restroom. We have had significant mold issues over the last couple years that have contaminated not only the interior of apparatus, but the gear the firefighters wear, this required us to have to decontaminate the apparatus as well as the gear. As a stop gap, we placed a portable dehumidifier in the station with a discharge hose so it may run continuously when we are not there.
We feel replacing this station will be a wise choice in the future of our town, as we are seeing high growth in that area of town. Within the last 2 years, 3 sub-divisions are in the building stages. 2 are off of Pond Road, and 1 off of Natalie Drive. These 3 areas will add an estimated 35 new dwellings in that area of town.
Anyone who would like to view the Pond Road station prior to town meeting is welcome to reach out to Chief Gross and he will arrange a time to meet, open the station for access, and answer any questions you may have. You can reach Chief Gross at 207-346-4039 or email to [email protected]
We welcome your constructive input and questions and appreciate your consideration of these articles.
As stated above, these are your facilities, we are only the caretakers. These decisions will be made at the will of the voters at town meeting. Attached is a copy of articles 33 & 34, as well as the budget compiled for the Pond Rd. project.
We hope the information we have provided will give more insight into the articles, so residents may make the most informed decision possible.

Thank you,
Chief Gross and the members of the WGFD.

05/17/2026

The events of the last week are a sobering reminder of not only the stress, but the danger involved in public emergency services.

The sudden loss of West Bath Firefighter & Harpswell Fire Administrator Mike Drake, followed by the tragic loss of Maine Warden Service Pilot Joshua Tibbetts in a plane crash, and now the untimely death of 27 year old Morrill firefighter Andrew Cross during the initial response to the fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont on Friday are a reminder that we must never take anything for granted, as tomorrow is not guaranteed.

We must continue to focus on the health and safety of our first responders, and always train to the best of our ability, using events such as these as our motivation to constantly be better.

Our thoughts are with the families, friends and coworkers of these public safety heroes, and all of the first responders involved in these recent tragic events.

04/20/2026

A reminder regarding open burning in Maine.
All outside fires require a burn permit except a recreational camp fire no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 3 feet in height, including fires used for cooking purposes. Utilizing a fire pit for burning yard waste such as leaves, brush etc. does not bypass the requirement for a burn permit.
Open burning permits are free on line at maineburnpermit.com
If the fire danger ratings are too high, permits will be shut down automatically by the Forest Service.
Requirements for open burning can be found on line at the Maine Forest Service web site.
Please feel free to reach out to any officer of the Fire Department if you have any questions or concerns.

03/28/2026

Come visit us this morning ing for some free breakfast! Bring the family and enjoy some food cooked by the members of the West Gardiner Fire Department Association, and your West Gardiner Firefighters.
We have a coloring table for the kids, and our friends from Soiett's Maple House are here with their home made maple products. All syrup for this event supplied by Soiett's.

03/20/2026

Come join us for our 5th annual free public pancake breakfast on Saturday March 28th. Meet your firefighters and Fire Department Association members, and enjoy a warm breakfast. Sponsored by the West Gardiner Volunteer Fire Department Association.

03/10/2026

Good evening West Gardiner.
As spring is near and temps are warming up, the ice in local streams, ponds and lakes is starting to open up and thin out.
PLEASE, use caution as today we had a fellow resident attempt to rescue their pet who had gone onto the ice, and subsequently into the water. Without hesitation, the resident went onto the ice and toward the open water with an empty canoe in tow, and having no safety gear in an attempt to rescue the pet.
After getting themself and the pet into the canoe, they became stuck in a crevice on the ice shelf and were unable to move, and a portion of the canoe in the open water.
Thankfully, we were able to successfully access the canoe containing the pet and owner without anyone contacting the open water, and they were brought to shore safely.
Although air temps are warming, the water temperatures are still extremely frigid, and a person going into the water unprotected, only has minutes to be rescued before the situation turns perilous.
Thankfully, this instance had a happy ending, as we hope all emergencies we respond to do.
We ask that if you encounter a similar situation, please contact 911.
We are always happy to respond and help our residents, and our mission is to always keep our neighbors and the community safe.
We train for many different types of emergencies in order to provide our community with the best possible service we can.

Please, If you need us, call us, and we will be there.

Respectfully,
Your WGFD members.

02/07/2026

The WGFD would like to thank our mutual aid partners from Gardiner, Farmingdale, Randolph,Pittston, Litchfield and Manchester for their quick response and great support during a structural fire on Benson Road on Friday 2/6/26.
Without solid and reliable mutual aid partners, most towns would be unable to adequately staff an incident of this type. We are very fortunate to have neighboring towns who support their neighbors as if they were their own towns. Great work by all responding units.

01/24/2026

Good evening West Gardiner Residents.
We have a weekend of various weather conditions decending on us, bringing extreme cold, followed by a substantial snow event.
With temps as low as expected this weekend often come heating issues, power outages, and frozen pipes. A few reminders should any of these issues occur.
1. NEVER run a generator indoors, or place it near windows or doors. Always shut your generator off when fueling.
2. NEVER run heaters that utilize any form of petroleum- Kerosene, Diesel fuel etc. indoors or in any confined area.
3. Gas or electric stoves/ovens should NEVER be utilized as sources of heat.
4. Avoid use of candles and utilize flashlights or battery powered lanterns.
5. When using any space heater, keep at least 3 feet from and combustible materials such as furniture, curtains etc.

Above are just a few examples of common issues that occur during cold weather events. Please, make sure you utilize caution and good judgement should you lose power or your heating source fails, and make sure your smoke detectors and Carbon Monoxide detectors are functioning.
Keep flashlights handy and have extra batteries available.
Lastly, there are many warming shelters throughout Kennebec County that are available should you need to seek assistance. A complete list can be found using the link below.
As always, your West Gardiner Fire Department is here to assist you, if you need us, call and we will be there.
Stay safe and warm West Gardiner.

List of warming centers by county:

Maine is experiencing drought conditions. Report a dry well or other impacts here. For guidance and resources visit the Drought Task Force page.