Orrington welcomes three new firefighters

ORRINGTON – The Fire Department has three new firefighters and a new official name: the Orrington Fire and Rescue Department.

When the town-run department formed in October 2005, it couldn’t officially include the ambulance service in the name until all administrative documents and permits were approved, Fire Chief Mike Spencer said Friday.

“We were always the Orrington Fire and Rescue Department, just not officially,” he said.

Town selectmen on Monday hired the three new firefighters – Jacob Hicks, Shellie Tourtillotte and Dana Gagnon.

“Two of the individuals, Shellie Tourtillotte and Dana Gagnon, are both state-certified firefighters with experience,” Spencer said. “The third individual, Jacob Hicks, is a gentleman who has wanted to get on the department for a while.”

Hicks served as a U.S. Marine and is taking classes offered by the department to become a certified firefighter, a process that will take a year, Spencer said.

Gagnon once served as a firefighter in Aroostook County and also has experience as an emergency medical technician. He works as a building contractor and is a master electrician.

Tourtillotte started her career in Hampden, where she developed a public safety program with the local schools that she is planning to implement at Center Drive School in town, Spencer said.

“That’s one of the things Orrington lacked for years and years,” he said. “This is a huge step for my department.”

Educating schoolchildren about the dangers of fire is a key step in preventing them, the chief said.

“She’s pretty much developing the new program herself,” Spencer said. “Her talents and her way with the kids is above and beyond what you’d expect.”

Tourtillotte most recently worked as the public safety officer for the Bangor Fire Department.

All three new firefighters live in Orrington, which is key to fast emergency response times, Spencer said.