Angus King

If public service agencies have trained together, when bad things happen that require a response by first responders, everyone is on the same page. They know each other, they’ve had the same instruction, and they can work together seamlessly.

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) stopped by the York County Regional Training Center Wednesday, May 27 for a tour, to see firsthand the facility York County government built largely with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, county money, grants, and Congressionally Directed Spending that makes exactly that sort of training possible. And he liked what he saw.

“This is the heart of public service training,” said King of the new facility that is unique in Maine, a place where police, firefighters, EMS, corrections staff and dispatchers can get the training they need to begin a career or continue the career they’re already engaged in by keeping up with required certifications.

There has been a high demand for public safety personnel across the country for the past several years and there are not enough to go around; but that is changing as more people are able to be trained.

For some, it’s a new career. For others, it is the ability for a full-timer to keep up with required training while still maintaining family life because that training is now close to home.

Currently, an EMT class is about to graduate from a 240-hour, 16-week York County Community College program at the training center where all 16 class members are employed. Some class members were working during training, some were volunteers, and some are new hires.

Another York County Community College program, criminal justice, will move a cohort from the Wells campus to the training center in Alfred for the fall semester, said Cait Grant, York County Community College vice president of economic and educational development.

Grant said the criminal justice offering at the center has been structured to be an in-person program in a seven-week accelerated model.

“It allows students to move through the coursework with two courses at a time, which is great for diving deep into the learning,” Grant said.

On the day King visited, Maine State Police were using the center’s drill hall to provide training on how to extract an uncooperative arrestee from a cruiser. It is the type of regional approach that tends to go on at the facility, which opened in early January.

York County Manager Greg Zinser said some other state agencies have expressed interest. And he pointed out, the training center has the capacity to provide training for others as well, like federal emergency management programs.

York County Regional Training Center Director Roger Hooper said while York County first responders have first priority, the training center accepts students from other regions of Maine and New Hampshire. He showed the senator various training aides, including virtual reality programs.

“This is miles ahead of conventional learning,” King said.

The senator thought back to a few years ago, when he first learned about York County’s quest to build a regional public safety training facility. “I thought at the time, ‘This is a good idea,’” he recalled.

According to King’s staff, $3.6 million in Congressionally Directed Spending was provided to

the training center in 2023 and 2024. Additionally, $1.98 million in designated spending has been provided for the nearby York County Recovery Center, currently under construction.

King noted that no similar training facilities are located elsewhere in Maine or in much of New England.

Commissioner Richard Clark said when York County was awarded rescue plan act funding, the board knew it was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to make a significant difference.

“This is one of the most important facilities in the state of Maine right now,” King said.

Tammy Wells is media specialist for York County Government.