By Allison Carrier
A 24-Hour Shift Begins
As a first responder, Bruce Quint doesn’t have a traditional 9-to-5 job. It’s hard for him to imagine having this schedule after being in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for 47 years. He serves as a Fire Captain for all of Scarborough, a role responsible for supervising the Fire and EMS crews and being the incident commander at emergency scenes.
The start of Bruce’s workday—and a 24-hour shift—begins at 8:00am. He tries to arrive an hour before so the outgoing commander isn’t stuck on a call as the end of their shift approaches. He is stationed out of the Public Safety Building, which is considered the Oak Hill station.
Shortly after shift change, he initiates an online conference call with the other stations (Black Point, North Scarborough, Dunstan) to give updates and assignments. Updates may include trucks that are out of service or road construction that may change the route of response. Assignments could be monthly building inspections, community events, hydrant inspections or shoveling, or follow-up on earlier calls.
Today, Engine 5 is being assigned to check a fire alarm for the next three days. A fire alarm in a commercial building went off the day before, and the system could not be reset. If the problem remains after three days, it gets sent to the fire inspector to review.
Keeping the Crews Ready
After reviewing open reports and giving station assignments, Bruce drives to each station to check in with the crews. When he stops into the stations, he checks to see if they are having any issues with equipment and brings them supplies if needed. The crews do vehicle checks every day, and if there is an issue it will get documented for scheduled repair, or if severe enough, will go right away to the Fire mechanic at Public Works. They also do a training during every shift, such as a hands-on pump training to practice managing the hoses and playing out scenarios. Sometimes the trainings are classroom-based; they’ll watch a YouTube video of a real-life incident and discuss how it was handled. Crews also do EMS training, which applies toward license renewals that are needed every two years for EMS.
Balancing Command and Administration
By late morning, Bruce goes back to his office at the Public Safety Building to do some administrative tasks. He works on the shift schedule, prepared for 8 and 16 days out. Each captain is responsible for filling this 8- and 16-day cycle. His schedule is a 24-hour, 8:00am to 8:00am, shift, followed by two full days off, then another 24-hour shift, followed by four days off (8-day cycle). In addition to the first priority of getting upcoming shifts covered, he also reviews payroll and the fire reports that others are working on. Any time a call happens, a report needs to be created. It documents the action (what the crew did to respond) and gets logged into a system for the State.
This personnel and administrative work makes up about half of his day. At his desk, his computer screen displays calls that are coming in and who is responding. He stays alert and aware, and goes to some of the calls as needed. On busy days, he is on the street a lot. As Fire Captain, Bruce is the incident commander at emergency scenes. He manages the response strategy and tracks all crew members to ensure their safety. He is also responsible for communicating with the family on the scene, while the crew handles the patient.
A Department Growing with the Town
In his 28 years with Scarborough, Bruce has seen incredible growth and its effect on fire operations. Call volume has gone up significantly, and a majority are medical. When he started, there were 6 full-time members. Now, there are 48. This has been positive for the department, as any time there is a significant incident, they rely on the numbers to get the job done.
Despite the increases in staff, the camaraderie remains. The crews eat lunch and dinner together, talking about the day in a less stressful environment. It’s hard not to form bonds when spending 48 hours with each other every week. Bruce values these connections, and has found that the most rewarding part of his role is making a difference in someone’s life when they have an emergency, whether it be big or small.
A Career Built on Service
Bruce began his career with Westbrook Rescue in 1981. His father was a firefighter and he joined the Fire Explorer Program as soon as he could in his teens. He also developed a passion for EMS and cross-trained as a firefighter/paramedic. He worked for PACE Ambulance from 1990-1998 while continuing part-time in Westbrook. In 1997, he joined Scarborough Fire as a firefighter/paramedic and was promoted to Fire Captain in 2016. He loves what he does and has a goal to make it to 30 years before he retires.
Bruce lives in Gorham and spends his free time enjoying the quiet life. He’ll read, watch the many birds in his front yard, and peck away at his list of things to do around the house. He and his wife often go to Maine Celtics or Sea Dogs games, or watch their grandson in his many sports. He does his best to separate from the busyness of his workdays, but with a longtime career in emergency response it will always be part of his identity.
Allison Carrier is Marketing and Communications Manager for the Town of Scarborough.
(Photo courtesy of Town of Scarborough)
