Lewiston firefighter Mark Anderson — helping people East and West, fire and ice

From western wildfires to ice water rescues, Mark Anderson has answered the call.

We asked Lewiston’s new assistant fire chief about getting his start and the days that stand out, so far.

Name: Mark Anderson

Lives: Raymond

Grew up in: Ashburnham, Massachusetts

What first drew you to volunteer firefighting? It sounds super cliché, but I always wanted to help people. I knew a couple of seniors in high school who were also volunteering. All of them are now career firefighters somewhere in New England. At first, I wanted to be a police officer but quickly realized zipping around town on a firetruck seemed more fun. Once I started training, the allure of “the brotherhood” instantly hooked me. The friendships, adrenaline and experiences we shared were powerful and recognizable even as a teenager.

How did you know when you wanted to make it a career? In high school, I did an internship with the local fire department. It was a very small department, only three full-time members back then, but I enjoyed going there every day for last period. It was there I learned, “You mean, I can get paid for this!” When I moved to Maine for college, I quickly identified Lewiston as the city I wanted to work in and was fortunate enough to land a position here in 2005. For the most part, I loved coming in every shift. I work with an amazing group of men and women. I am extremely grateful for my experiences with many of them.

From fire to ice: How did your interest in ice water rescue start? We had a couple of calls one late fall. At the time, all we had for protective gear was life jackets. The firefighters’ union worked with management to enhance our training and equipment. I applied, and was selected, to represent our department at a train-the-trainer ice water rescue program. After the training, I was fortunate enough to bring the information back to Lewiston and train the department. We also received grant funding, which allowed us to purchase all the necessary cold-water gear.

What’s it like heading out to a scene? All calls are a little different. We typically get dressed at the station. Each one of us stages our gear slightly different so we can hop into it quickly.

While responding, there is a lot going on in the truck. We listen to updates on the radios while chatting about the building. Members of the crew often share knowledge of recent calls at the location, especially if there are any nuances or known hazards associated with the building. We also chat about closest hydrants, proximity to other buildings, best access points, our assignment when we get on-scene, etc. Decisions are ultimately up to the officers, but we all work together as a team gathering information and trying to process solutions as quickly and effectively as we can.

I’d say one of the biggest frustrations while responding to calls is other motorists. In driver’s ed. we are all taught “pull to the right and stop.” In reality, people do the wildest things. Our chauffeurs are always on the lookout and paying close attention to the road.

What two or three calls stand out most so far in your career, whether in water or going into burning buildings? There are many calls that stand out, each for a different reason. Some with successful outcomes and others, unfortunately, not so much.

Two of the calls that stand out are fires.

One fire, we were searching for an elderly woman who was still inside the apartment. Reports were she was in her bedroom. We immediately made our way to the bedroom, searching for anyone else along the way. We located the bedroom, however, she was not there. The smoke was so thick, we could hardly see our hands if held out in front of our faces. We then started to search the rest of the department when one of our firefighters found her, unresponsive, in a bathroom. We helped bring her outside and performed CPR until United came and transported to the hospital. I remember thinking she likely would not survive. I learned a few days later she did survive and ended up leaving the hospital a week or two later.

Another one was a winter fire on a very cold evening. I was with a crew on the fourth floor. We were bringing a hose line to extinguish the fire. The smoke was fairly thick, but we could still see few feet ahead of us. As we entered a room, I could just barely make out the silhouette of a person holding what looked like a bat. I knew there were no other firefighters in there and it startled me . . . OK, fine, I jumped! I remember yelling, “What the heck are you doing in here?” while also wondering, “How are you even alive and standing there?” I moved a little closer and realized it was a life-sized statue of a knight in armor holding a sword. All I could do was laugh at myself for being startled by a statue as we moved past it. About 10 years later, I saw the knight, or at least one just like it, in the basement of some other random building while on another call.

You haven’t just worked in Lewiston: How did you get involved in Western wildfire response? I had wanted to go out West, fighting wildfires, since I was in college, but school, a new career and starting a family kept me pretty busy.

A few years ago, there was a firefighter who had come back from a trip and was talking about it. This instantly reignited my interest. By then my kids were older and their mom was supportive of me going. The firefighter gave me a contact with the Maine Forest Service who coordinates the teams. I spent the winter training, then testing in the spring. My first trip was the Rice Ridge Fire in Montana. Since then, fires have brought me (on Maine Forest Service teams) . . . to California, Colorado and Quebec.

Fire assignments depend on the needs of the incident. In Quebec, we were doing initial/direct attack. When a reported fire came in, we hopped in helicopters and flew to the reported location. Once we located the fire, the pilot would look for a place to land. The pilot would drop the crew and our gear. We would then hike into the fire and try to extinguish it before it got too big.

In California, Colorado and Montana, we did different things. Some trips I drove the fire engine and we prepared homes, ahead of the fire, removing brush around structures or along roads to try and keep the fire away. Other times we would be out in the woods digging line, preparing areas for back burn, or providing over-watch for crews working in areas where they couldn’t see the main body of fire.

Our fire shifts out West are 16 hours of work with an eight-hour rest period. That goes on for 14 days. Each member is allowed 65 pounds’ worth of gear for the two weeks. That limit included your tent, sleeping bag, safety equipment and clothes.

In Colorado, we slept on the tree line of a huge field. Every night, we would listen to the elk bugle and coyotes howl. We see animals all the time. Tons of bears in northern California. Deer and elk in Montana. Then fish rising on the remote lakes and ponds of Quebec. All places I’d like to travel back to with my mountain bike and a fly rod.

Ahh. You’re home. No one needs rescuing, for the moment. What are you doing or what are you watching? That all depends on the season. If it’s soccer season, chances are you will find me on the field or cheering one of my three kids from the sidelines.

Summer time, I love to be out on my mountain bike. I guess, still seeking thrills even when nothing is on fire. Winter is a little slower; I enjoy ice fishing and snowshoeing. I’d love to get back into skiing, but that gets a little expensive, especially with three kids.

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