LEE FIRE & RESCUE DEPARTMENT HISTORY & MISSION

For more than 50 years, the Lee Fire Department has stood ready to assist the citizens of Lee. Ours is a tradition that began in the late 1940s with a group of men dedicated to helping their neighbors in times of need. Those were tumultuous years for a fledgling department beset by enough intrigue to fill a dime store novel. After a while, it became apparent to the members that a new method of operation was essential if the Department was to properly serve the townsfolk. Tired of constantly worrying about resources, they decided to approach the town and ask for help.

During the 1950 Town Meeting, residents voted to accept the Department’s equipment and to fund its operation. Interestingly enough, while the townspeople voted to accept the resources of the Department, the town did not provide funding for a station. Undaunted by this turn of events, members of the Department set about to build their own station with lumber cut from town property. It was this "can do" spirit that laid the foundation for future members.

Since its inception, the primary mission of the Department has been fighting fires. Hundreds of acres of undeveloped land made the town susceptible to forest and wild-land fires, and this - combined with residential and commercial building fires - was of principal concern to the early volunteers. As the town grew and surrounding communities developed, an increase in motor vehicle traffic meant the Department was responding to rising numbers of motor vehicle accidents. For years, these accidents dominated the Department's call volume. Over time, the Department’s mission has expanded further to include hazardous materials mitigation, water rescue, ice rescue, and medical aid.

Although recognized as an all-volunteer department, today’s Lee Fire & Rescue is technically referred to as a "Call Department." Members are paid annually for the number of calls they respond to over the course of the year. But if you were to ask any member of the Department why he or she is willing to stand in harm's way, the answer would have nothing to do with financial gain - it would center on the desire to help others in their times of greatest need.

As the challenges facing the fire service continue to increase in number and complexity, and as our town continues to grow, members of the Lee Fire & Rescue Department will build upon the foundation of service set down so many years ago by a group of men and women dedicated to helping their community. Going into the second half of a century of service, it is our mission to maintain the commitment of those who served before us by continuing to help our neighbors in times of hardship.

ROSTER

APPARATUS

The Lee Fire & Rescue Department operates five firefighting and rescue vehicles, described below.
Engine 1 (Call Sign: 28E1) 28E1 is our primary structural firefighting vehicle. It carries a crew of four firefighters and one operator. With a holding capacity of one thousand gallons of water, this apparatus is capable of initiating multiple attacks on a fire within the first few minutes of arriving on scene. This truck was put into service in ____.
		Engine 2 (Call Sign: 28E2) 28E2 plays multiple roles for the Department: it is the second due piece to any motor vehicle accident - supporting extrication and providing fire suppression capabilities - and is also a fully-equipped structural firefighting vehicle typically used at a water source to supply incoming tankers or other engines with water. Engine 2 was put into service in June '05
Rescue 1 (Call Sign: 28R1) 28R1 was purchased by the Department in June 2003 and was paid for almost completely via a federal grant program. 28R1’s primary mission is support of any operation involving life and/or environmental safety. This includes support for motor vehicle accidents, structure fires, search and rescue, hazardous materials, and medical responses requiring extrication. 28R1 is the first due apparatus for all motor vehicle accidents.
			Tanker 1 (Call Sign: 28T1) 28T1 is a 2500-gallon 3-axle tanker first put into service in ____. This truck is used to supply water for fire suppression operations, including structure fires, brush fires, and mutual aid to other towns requiring water for fire suppression. It is also a fully functional fire engine. This truck carries a crew of two.
Utility 1 (Call Sign: 28U1) 28U1 is a 2003 Ford F-350 with a primary mission of fighting brush and forest fires as well as responding to medical calls. The truck carries 100 gallons of water and a pump along with medical supplies.

NEW SAFETY COMPLEX

Pending