Dexter Junior Firefighter Program

Dexter Junior Firefighter Program 🔥 Ages 16–18? Join the Dexter Junior Firefighter Program! Learn real skills, train with pros, and lead with purpose. Monthly drills, big impact.

Apply now and become the future of fire service! 💪🚒

🚒 OPERATION: WHITE SMOKE (The Day Dexter Fire Held a Takeover) 🚓​If you drove by the Dexter Fire Station today, saw thic...
05/28/2026

🚒 OPERATION: WHITE SMOKE (The Day Dexter Fire Held a Takeover) 🚓
​If you drove by the Dexter Fire Station today, saw thick plumes of billowing white smoke pouring out of the windows, and thought, “Wow, they either elected a new Pope or it’s just Thursday,”—congratulations, you passed the test! Dexter residents have nerves of steel. PRCC reported exactly zero 911 calls. Thank you for reading our warning posts and checking the signs, because otherwise, we would have triggered a town-wide panic.
​Today, the Tri-County Technical Center, Dexter Fire, and the Dexter Junior Firefighters teamed up for a mass casualty drill. The scenario? "An attack on first responders." It was pure, beautiful chaos. Here’s the play-by-play:
​Step 1: The TCTC Criminal Justice class swarmed the building, clearing corners, securing rooms, and looking incredibly tactical.
​Step 2: Because our smoke machine was set to "Maximum Fog Capability," the Firefighting class charged into the white-out conditions next to aggressively extinguish fake flames and save the day.
​Step 3: The EMT class rushed in to triage, treat, and transport.
​The Secret Weapon: The CNA class didn't just sit back—they embedded directly with the EMTs, throwing down high-quality medical care side-by-side in the trenches. Absolute rockstars.
​🎭 Give These People an Oscar:
A massive, separate shoutout to our patient volunteers who played the victims. The screaming? The fake crying? The dramatic groaning? Absolutely breathtaking performances. Hollywood is calling. You made the training so real that we almost forgot it was a drill.
​🕵️‍♂️ The Prank of the Century:
Look, we couldn't let a joint Fire/PD training go by without maintaining the ancient, sacred tradition of messing with Law Enforcement. While the Criminal Justice instructor had his back turned, we stealthily ninja’d our way through the crowd and placed fire helmets on every single one of his students.
​Look at me. We are the Chief Chiefs now. 🧑‍🚒
​📋 Behind the Scenes:
A massive, special thanks goes out to the Instructors at TCTC, Advisors Jackie Guy, Sarah Silva and Very special law enforcement visitor Matt McDaniel, Putting together a multi-agency circus like this requires a monumental amount of planning with instructors, fire dept leadership, dispatch, logistics, and sanity—thank you all for your incredible work in making today happen safely and successfully!
​In all seriousness, these kids did a mind-blowing job today. Seeing the future of our local emergency services work together like this is incredible. Huge thanks to TCTC for letting us be part of their programs, and thank you to this amazing community for your endless support.
​Until the next time we fill the town with white smoke... stay safe, Dexter!

05/28/2026

*** REMINDER FOR TODAY***

🚨 ATTENTION DEXTER: IT’S ONLY A TEST!
If you see smoke, a crowd of people, and what looks like a scene straight out of an action movie at the Dexter Fire Department on Church St. TODAY, don’t panic! We haven't been invaded, and the apocalypse isn't starting (at least not today).
​Tri-County Tech Center and the Town are teaming up for a Mass Casualty Drill from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
​🧐 What to Expect:
​The "Chaos": You’ll see smoke, a large crowd, and "injured" people (don't worry, it's just very convincing makeup).
​The First Responders: There will be a heavy presence of Law Enforcement, Firefighters, and EMS personnel on-site working together.
​The Signs: There will be plenty of signage reminding you that THIS IS A DRILL.
​Business as Usual: Even though the station is being used for training, we are still 100% available to respond to real emergencies.
​🛑 The "Please Don't" List:
​Don't Call 911: In past years, the dispatch center (PRCC) has been flooded with calls about "weapons" and "emergencies" at the training site despite the signs. Please do not report this event. Keep those lines open for actual emergencies!
​Don't "Rubberneck": We know it looks interesting, but please keep your eyes on the road. We’re practicing for accidents; we don’t want to cause a real one!
​📸 Follow Along!
​We’ll be posting photos and videos of the action later on, so you can see all the hard work that goes into keeping our community safe without having to slow down traffic.
​Support our Students: Give the Tri-County Tech Center a follow on Facebook to see the amazing things their students are doing and to find info on their great classes!
​Stay safe, stay cool, and remember: IT IS ONLY TRAINING! 🚒🚓🚑

05/21/2026

🚨 ATTENTION DEXTER: IT’S ONLY A TEST! 🚨
​If you see smoke, a crowd of people, and what looks like a scene straight out of an action movie at the Dexter Fire Department on Church St. Next thursday May 28th, don’t panic! We haven't been invaded, and the apocalypse isn't starting.
​Tri-County Tech Center and the Town services are teaming up for a Mass Casualty Drill from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
​🧐 What to Expect:
​The "Chaos": You may see smoke, a large crowd, and "injured" people (don't worry, it's just very convincing makeup). We wont release details of the Drill in advance as the students are blind to it until active.
​The First Responders: There will be a heavy presence of Law Enforcement, Firefighters, EMS personnel and students on-site working together.
​The Signs: There will be plenty of signage reminding you that THIS IS A DRILL.
​Business as Usual: Even though the station is being used for training, we are still 100% available to respond to real emergencies.
​🛑 The "Please Don't" List:
​Don't Call 911: In past years, the dispatch center (PRCC) has been flooded with calls about "weapons" and "emergencies" at the training site despite the signs. Please do not report this event. Keep those lines open for actual emergencies!
​Don't "Rubberneck": We know it looks interesting, but please keep your eyes on the road. We’re practicing for accidents; we don’t want to cause a real one!
​📸 Follow Along!
​We’ll be posting photos and videos of the action later on, so you can see all the hard work that goes into keeping our community safe without having to slow down traffic.
​Support our Students: Give the Tri-County Tech Center a follow on Facebook to see the amazing things their students are doing and to find info on their great classes!
​Stay safe, stay cool, and remember: IT IS ONLY TRAINING! 🚒🚓🚑

Beautiful day for some serious training! ☀️🚒 Huge thanks to the Dexter Fire Department for hosting a valuable (and fun!)...
05/17/2026

Beautiful day for some serious training! ☀️🚒 Huge thanks to the Dexter Fire Department for hosting a valuable (and fun!) pump training session today.
​Despite being down a truck due to pump testing, the team adapted flawlessly to practice drafting from a static water source. The highlight of the day was seeing the juniors from the Dexter Junior Firefighter Program jump right into the action. They got some incredible hands-on experience pumping the trucks and climbing the ladder.
​Way to go, everyone! Thank you, Dexter FD, for always supporting our future firefighters!

05/16/2026

Processing the Heavy Days: A Note from the Leadership

​It has been a brutal week for the Maine public safety community. Between the heartbreaking loss of our neighbor and friend, Warden Josh Tibbetts, and the devastating explosion in Searsmont that has left 1 firefighter dead and multiple first responders and civilians injured, the reality of this calling is front and center.
​For the young adults in our Junior Firefighter program, a week like this changes the landscape.
​They join the program to learn the skills, wear the gear, and serve. But events like these force them to confront the true, sober stakes of the uniform. It is a lot to process. They are learning that the sirens we hear mean lives have changed forever, and that sometimes, the people who go out to help don't come home.

​As advisors, our job description doesn’t stop at teaching tactics or training on trucks. Our most important responsibility is protecting the minds and hearts of the kids we lead.
​Let us be completely clear about how we operate: gone are the days of being viewed as weak for seeking help processing a sentinel event.

​No one in this program will ever look at you sideways for struggling with the weight of this job. The matter-of-fact truth is that every single advisor in this station has faced a call or a loss in our own lives that we needed help to get through. None of us do this alone, and we don't expect you to either. True strength isn't burying a burden until it breaks you; it’s having the grit to raise your hand and say, "I need to talk."

​Sometimes, processing these tragedies means asking tough, uncomfortable questions. Sometimes it means talking through the anger and the grief. And sometimes, it just means sitting together in absolute silence, letting the dust settle, knowing you are surrounded by a brotherhood that has your back.

​To the parents of our Juniors: This is one of those times that, as parents ourselves, we should check on our kids and hug them just a little tighter. As advisors, we do our absolute best to teach them how to do this job as safely as possible, but the reality is smacking us all in the face right now. This job is inherently dangerous. Our mission is to train them exactly how to handle those dangers, respect the risks, and mitigate them.
​Because of those risks, we want to remind you that during their time as a junior, we enforce very strict policies about where they can be and what they can do during live events. These guardrails are there for a reason: to keep them as safe as humanly possible while they learn.

​To our Juniors: We are incredibly proud of your dedication, but we care about who you are as people far more than who you are as responders. If you are hurting, confused, or just need a place to sit and think—reach out to an advisor. We are here, we are listening, and we will get through the dark days together.

​The Advisors & Staff
Dexter Junior Firefighter Program

05/15/2026

It has been an incredibly difficult and heavy week for the Maine first responder family.
​As we continue to process the tragic loss of Warden Josh Tibbetts, our hearts are now with the community of Searsmont following the massive explosion and fire at Robbins Lumber today.
​To the multiple fire, EMS, and law enforcement agencies on the scene, the injured workers, and the firefighters who were hurt responding to the blast: the Dexter Junior Firefighter Program has you all in our thoughts and prayers tonight.
​These are the posts we never want to have to make, but it is a stark reminder of the risks our public safety community faces every single day. We are wishing for the absolute best possible outcome for everyone involved. Stay safe out there.

05/12/2026

To our brothers and sisters in the Maine Game Warden Service,
​In the world of Maine public safety, there are no separate agencies when a tragedy like this strikes—there is only one family, and tonight, that family is broken. ​As advisors for the Dexter Junior Firefighter Program, we are spending the day reflecting on the immense void left by today’s loss. When a Warden is lost in the line of duty, the impact ripples far beyond the woods and waters they protected. It is felt in every fire station, every police cruiser, and every ambulance across this state. ​We are all bound by a common thread: the willingness to go toward the danger so that others don't have to. Today, one of our own didn't come home, and that reality carries a weight that words cannot fully capture. ​We want the Maine Game Warden Service to know that the Dexter Junior Firefighter program—and the entire public safety community—is standing in the gap with you. We share in your grief, we honor the incredible courage it took to fly that final mission, and we mourn the loss of a guardian who embodied the very best of what it means to serve the people of Maine. ​To the family, the friends, and the fellow Wardens: You are not walking this dark road alone. We are standing watch with you.

​Rest easy, Warden. We have the watch from here.
​With deepest respect and heartfelt condolences,
​The Advisors
Dexter Junior Firefighter Program

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98 Church Street
Dexter, ME
04930

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