From left, York County Commissioner Richard Dutremble, County Manager Greg Zinser, Sen. Susan Collins, Regional Training Center Director Roger Hooper, Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Megan Arsenault, York County Community College President Dr. Michael Fischer and Emergency Management Agency Director Art Cleaves.
By Tammy Wells
York County Government
The York County Regional Training Center celebrated its opening in Alfred with a grand opening ceremony featuring first responders, municipal officials and others, including U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.
Building it took just over a year. Planning it took 3-4 years. First responders have been dreaming of having such a facility for decades.
And, pointed out YCRTC director Roger Hooper, it took an international pandemic to produce the funding. Without the American Rescue Plan Act and other funding, the dream would not have become reality.
“This facility is the largest single investment in first responders in Maine, ever,” Hooper said.
And with the ability to provide consistent and up-to-date training to first responders from recruitment to retirement, he said, it’s designed to bring vast returns – in the form of safety – to every community in York County. There are training opportunities for police, corrections, firefighters, EMS providers and dispatchers. More than 1,500 first responders have received training since the center opened in January.
On Friday, Collins took a tour before the ceremony, stopping at an EMS classroom where instructor Nickie Tarbell showed her a lifelike teaching aid – a pediatric mannequin that can show signs of medical distress.
At the podium during the ceremony, Collins noted the collaboration between the training center and York County Community College. She called the training center “an outstanding example of what we can so when we work in partnership.”
“We must ensure first responders have the facilities and equipment to train,” she said. “That is why I worked to secure $3.4 million for components of this training center, including support for the construction of the facility, simulators, and other EMS, fire and law enforcement training equipment essential to the center’s mission.”
In all, the training center cost about $24 million – most of it from York County Government’s allotment of ARPA funds, and from Congressionally Designated Spending.
Sarah Stanley, Sen. Angus King’s York County representative, read a letter from the senator, who praised the project which “reflects the dedication and collaboration of many.”
“This facility creates a centralized, modern space where our public safety professionals can train together, learn together, and prepare together,” said York County Manager Greg Zinser. “It strengthens our ability to recruit, develop talent, and to retain the highly skilled individuals that our communities depend on. It also allows us to build consistency in training and operations across jurisdictions—something that benefits every town and every resident in York County.”
York County Commission Chair Richard Dutremble noted that 15 years ago, the board hired Zinser and asked him to be progressive in providing more services in York County, and that happened with a recovery center called Layman Way that worked in conjunction with the courts. Then, when ARPA funding emerged, York County commissioners held public hearings to determine how best to serve communities now and in the future.
“I hope everyone in York County is proud of this center because it will save lives,” Dutremble said.
York County Community College President Dr. Michael Fischer called the training center “a testament of vision, leadership and collaboration.”
“(This center) will be transformative for the citizens of York County for years to come,” he said.
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