Marcie Lovejoy has been on Alna's First Responders team since it formed in 1985. She plans to stop at the 30-year mark, in February 2015.

“I'm worn out,” she said in an interview February 19.

But Lovejoy, 63, and Alna Fire Chief Mike Trask are hoping that her retirement will not spell an end to the first responders. Trask said his worst fear for the service is that, if it stops, it will never get restarted.

Lovejoy, the first responders’ director, is one of three current members and the lone original one still serving. Members come and go, when they move or find they don't have the time.

Or sometimes, people decide it just isn't for them, Lovejoy said. First responders sometimes get to the scene before an ambulance crew arrives from Wiscasset. They see some pretty unpleasant sights at motor vehicle crashes or other emergencies, and they don't always get a warm reception from the people they are coming to help, she said.

It can be difficult but satisfying work. Whether doing CPR, checking vital signs, preparing a patient for intravenous treatment, or helping the ambulance crew find the scene, first responders can help save a life; even just a first responder’s presence can be a ray of hope for someone having an emergency, according to Lovejoy and Trask.

“Minutes can seem like an eternity when you need help,” Trask said February 20.

Trask has put a call out for new members, in a February 17 letter that has been mailed and emailed to Alna residents.

“Some of us remember a time when we did not have First Responders; we think none of us would prefer to return to that condition,” the letter states. “...Men, women, young, old, born here or just arrived in town, we need any and all of you who will join us.”

The future could bring a revitalized First Responders team; hired, out-of-town help with longer response times and higher costs, or a lapse in coverage, Trask writes.

“Do most of us prefer the comfort and quality of continuity? This is the question we need to answer together.”

In the same letter, Trask also seeks to add to the fire department's roster. At least 20 firefighters now serve, but it's an aging department that has lost some members to moves and retirements, the letter states.

Trask, 43, has been chief for 20 years and said he is not looking to retire. But the more firefighters the department has, the better it can get.

“It's a good group of people,” he said. “We'd love to have more.”

Alna's firefighters and first responders get $12 an hour when they respond to an emergency. For more information, call Trask at 207-441-0332.