When the Bell Rings Close to Home

A reflection on Maine, the fire service, volunteer responders, the Red Cross, and how we can support those who answer the call, as published on my Substack.

There are moments when a place feels much smaller than it looks on a map.

Maine is one of those places.

Yes, it is a state of long roads, wooded stretches, working waterfronts, small towns, and quiet corners. But anyone who has lived here for any length of time understands that Maine is also, in many ways, one small community. News travels quickly. Grief travels even faster.

When tragedy strikes one town, it does not stay neatly within town lines.

It moves through neighboring communities. It reaches fire stations and family kitchens. It settles into the hearts of first responders, hospital workers, dispatchers, emergency management teams, Red Cross volunteers, neighbors, friends, and strangers who may not know the names of those involved, but understand the weight of what has happened.

Yesterday, a lumber mill fire in Searsmont brought firefighters from surrounding communities to the scene. Many of those who responded were volunteers. Some were paid. All of them showed up to do what firefighters do: protect life, protect property, and stand between danger and everyone else.

And then, in the middle of that work, the worst kind of thing happened.

An explosion.

Multiple firefighters were injured. One life was lost.

There are few words that feel adequate in the face of that.

In the fire service, there are rituals and symbols used when words are not enough. A bell. A helmet. A folded flag. A procession. A final call. The sound of silence where there used to be movement and duty.

This morning, on my personal, FB feed, I shared the Fireman’s Prayer and the words of The Last Alarm. I have heard those words many times. I have spoken them many times. In my former career in the fire service, I served as an honor guard member and stood at podiums for fallen firefighter memorials and funerals, ringing the bell and reciting the words that mark the end of duty.

It is not lost on me that I once stepped away from that part of my life because the grief of it became too heavy.

My father was a retired fire chief of a large city. His funeral procession carried its own kind of ache. After years of standing in my Class A uniform, attending services, and holding space for others, I eventually needed distance from the reminders.

And yet, life has a way of bringing us back to the things that shaped us.

This week, I am in Maine. I came back to take care of things here, to tend to a home, to a season, to the practical pieces of life. And then tragedy struck nearby.

Not in a faraway place.
Not as a headline to scroll past.
But here.

In a community where volunteer fire departments are often the backbone of emergency response. In a state where people know people who know people. In a place where the loss of one responder is felt across many towns.

This is the part of emergency service work that the public does not always see.

When a fire happens, departments respond. But when firefighters are injured or killed, the impact does not end when the scene clears. Those departments still have to answer the next call. The next structure fire. The next car crash. The next medical emergency. The next alarm in the middle of the night.

They may now be short on volunteers.
They may have lost equipment.
They may be grieving while still being expected to serve.

And they will serve anyway.

That is what firefighters do. That is what EMS workers do. That is what dispatchers, law enforcement officers, emergency managers, hospital teams, Red Cross volunteers, and community responders do.

They show up.

Often quietly.
Often without recognition.
Often while carrying more than most people will ever know.

So the question becomes: how do the rest of us show up for them?

Not just today, while the grief is fresh.

But tomorrow.
Next week.
Next month.
In our own communities.

One way is to volunteer.

Volunteer fire departments across the country need people. And not everyone has to be the person going into a burning building. Departments need support staff. They need people who can help with fundraising, logistics, rehab, meals, paperwork, community education, events, and administrative support.

If you have ever thought, “I could never be a firefighter,” that may be true.

But you may still be able to serve your local fire department.

You may be able to answer phones, organize supplies, help with training nights, support families, assist with public education, or simply ask what is needed.

Another way is to donate.

Many local fire departments operate with small budgets. Some depend heavily on community donations to purchase gear, replace equipment, maintain apparatus, and support their members. A small monthly donation, a business contribution, a piece of needed equipment, or even donated time can make a real difference.

And right now, in the wake of this incident, the American Red Cross is reminding the public of another critical need: blood and plasma donations.

As a board member of the American Red Cross of Central and Midcoast Maine, I want to share the official statement released after the fire:

“At the request of local officials, the American Red Cross has mobilized to support the response to the lumber mill fire in Searsmont. Trained disaster volunteers are currently providing water and snacks for responding agencies on scene. Our teams have also provided additional blood products to support area hospitals.

We remain in contact with emergency management officials and stand ready to respond with additional support should it be needed.

Volunteer blood donors are needed each and every day to help save lives. This incident illustrates that it is the blood already on hospital shelves that helps during an emergency.

The Red Cross is thankful for all donors who give generously every day to help patients in Maine and across the country.”

That line is important:

It is the blood already on hospital shelves that helps during an emergency.

We often want to know what to do after tragedy strikes. Sometimes the answer is immediate. Sometimes it is practical. Sometimes it is as simple and as powerful as making an appointment to give blood before the next emergency happens.

Because there will always be another emergency.

Another call.
Another alarm.
Another family waiting for help to arrive.

Today, my heart is with the firefighters who were injured, the family and loved ones of the firefighter who did not come home, the departments who responded, the hospital teams caring for the injured, the dispatchers who carried the weight of those calls, the Red Cross volunteers supporting the scene, and the communities now grieving together.

My heart is also with every small-town fire department across this country that depends on neighbors helping neighbors.

The fire service has always understood something sacred about community: when the bell rings, someone must answer.

But those who answer the bell need support, too.

If you are able, consider reaching out to your local fire department and asking what they need. Consider making a donation. Consider volunteering in whatever capacity you can. Consider scheduling a blood or plasma donation. Consider checking on the people in your life who are always the first to show up for others.

There are no perfect words for a day like this.

But there can be action.
There can be care.
There can be community.

And there can be a promise that those who serve will not be left to carry the weight alone.

For our fallen, their last alarm.

They have gone home.

A Reflection from Coastal Maine,

~ Shannon

Ways to Help

If you are looking for a way to help after this tragedy, or if you simply want to support the emergency responders in your own community, here are a few meaningful places to begin:

Give blood or plasma.
The American Red Cross reminds us that in an emergency, it is often the blood already on hospital shelves that helps save lives. If you are able, consider scheduling a blood or plasma donation. Blood is needed every day, not only in the immediate aftermath of a tragedy.

Support your local fire department.
Many fire departments, especially volunteer departments, operate with limited budgets and depend on community support. Monetary donations, business sponsorships, donated supplies, meals during long incidents, or help with fundraising can all make a difference.

Ask how you can volunteer.
You do not have to be a firefighter to support a fire department. Many departments need help with administrative tasks, fundraising, public education, event support, rehab support, logistics, and community outreach. A simple call or message asking, “What do you need?” can be a meaningful first step.

Support verified relief efforts only.
In the days following a tragedy, fundraisers may be organized for affected families, departments, or injured responders. Please give only through official department pages, verified community organizations, or trusted local sources.

Check on the helpers.
Firefighters, EMS workers, dispatchers, law enforcement officers, hospital teams, Red Cross volunteers, and community responders often continue serving while carrying the weight of what they have witnessed. A meal, a message, a donation, or a quiet word of support can matter more than you know.

Remember your own community before the next emergency.
Every town depends on people willing to show up. Whether through volunteering, donating, giving blood, or supporting local emergency services, we can all help strengthen the safety net before the next alarm sounds.