Lewiston Firefighters IAFF Local 785

05/10/2026

May 6, 1985, was the day that Captain Daniels joined the Lewiston Fire Department. This May 6th marked his last day with Lewiston Fire as Captain of D shift.

In between, we all know there were good and bad times. Many cold and sleepless nights and many holidays and family events with empty seats. Forty one years is a long career in the fire service and rather uncommon. It is a testament to Captain Daniels dedication to the citizens of Lewiston. May 7th was undoubtedly an odd feeling knowing that his time of service has ended, but we sincerely hope it is the first day in a new chapter filled with family and traveling adventures.

Special thanks to his wife Lisa for all the sacrifices she had to make for these 41 years, we wish both all the best. Thank you for your service and dedication!

04/22/2026

Today ends a chapter in the Lewiston Fire Department, Private Billy Bergeron's retirement after 25 years. For those who know Billy, he is one of the most generous and caring people you can ever meet. His light hearted demeanor made all of us smile on the worst days and made each shift eventful. He will be deeply missed. Now his wife and family will have him 100% of the time. Maybe Bill’s wife will reconsider his retirement??

We also want to express our gratitude for City Administration, especially Administrator Kanerath for taking the time to say goodbye to Bill and his support for public safety. It has not gone unnoticed.

Enjoy retirement Billy! It’s well deserved.

04/10/2026

https://gofund.me/40a806566

My brother Derek fought a brave, fearless fight with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Diagnosed… Kaleb Damren needs your support for Celebration of Life for Derek

04/03/2026

October 29, 1996- April 2, 2026

Last night we lost a dear friend of Local 785, Derek Vintinner passed away at 29 years old. We first met Derek two years after he was diagnosed at age 7 with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He'd broken his leg in a playground accident and was having trouble controlling his crutches. Tests soon showed he had severe form of the genetic disorder that weakens muscles. Duchenne patients don't often survive past their 30s. For a couple of years after his diagnosis, the Vintinner family stayed quiet about the disease trying to keep to themselves until Derek decided to fight for all those who suffer from Muscular Dystrophy. Derek chose to raise money for research and assistance to those who are impacted by Muscular Dystrophy and that’s where we met at an MDA Boot Camp event. Through the years Derek would visit the firehouse and quickly become one of us. He bonded with a handful of firefighters that stayed in his life till the end. With Derek’s help and inspiration we raised money for MDA and we added a lifelong friend and a true inspiration. Derek was a fighter and he wanted to be at our side to demonstrate that will to fight and encourage people to be thankful for what they have.

We are gratified for what Derek added to our lives and the Association is truly beholden to those members who stayed by Derek till the end, he will be missed but not forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time. While Derek’s journey brought everyday challenges most of us take for granted, he was resilient and battled each day of his life. Friend, we are grateful of our times together, you will be missed. Thank you for teaching us what is important in life, God Bless!

03/28/2026

02/20/2026

The following is an op-ed from Rick Ca***er, president of the Lewiston Firefighters Association, regarding the events of the Lewiston City Council meeting on Tuesday night:

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The day before the one-year anniversary of the shootings, I learned of Ben Dyer and his story of survival and resilience. As President of the Lewiston Firefighters, the year following the shooting was occupied with ensuring all of our members who were present that evening were able to access whatever services they needed. As we approached the one-year anniversary, it was time for the department and those who responded to reclaim some sense of normalcy, as much as could be expected in light of the tragedy that unfolded for these 17 firefighters.

Perhaps the most under-told portion of that night was that the majority of public safety personnel on scene in the first few minutes were actually firefighters. These firefighters entered both locations without any protection, other than one who grabbed a bowling pin. At the time of their entry, there was no confirmation of where or how many shooters there were, and they did not know that in less than five minutes there was going to be a second shooting; their only goal was to help the survivors.

The tragedy that unfolded for them will be lasting, and this is not the point of this commentary.

I contacted Ben Dyer. I had never met him, and I told him of our plans to have support specialists meet with these crew members one final time on the one-year anniversary and asked if he would like to attend. Ben had numerous commitments, including some national news interviews and survivor group gatherings, but he never once hesitated to attend. The following hours with Ben likely were the best medicine these firefighters could have ever received. His message was clear: he was not going to be a victim of Robert Card, and he urged these firefighters to do the same. Ben Dyer is easily the most inspirational and effective person this crew has met since that day. His message was lasting and effective, and we could not have been more grateful.

A few days ago, I saw Ben speak on video at the council meeting the night prior (Tuesday) regarding the missing or misappropriated shooting victims’ funds. I texted Ben the following morning supporting his comments to the council.

None of us can ever understand what this man has gone through since that night. I pray none of you reading this ever do, but the reality is Ben is not the only person who was present that evening. There are countless families that will never be the same. It was an unspeakable tragedy that our entire community suffered. Ben is both a survivor and an inspiration to most of us. Ben replied to my text with a few words of thanks. Wednesday night, Ben again texted me and apologized for not asking how our members were doing. This alone shows who this man truly is—he was still concerned for others whom he had only met once in the basement of Central Fire Station.

This morning, I was disappointed that Ben’s story and his public commentary were being viewed as out of order by the Council President. To his credit, Mayor Sheline allowed his comment time to exceed the short three minutes of one-way dialogue, and he attempted to quiet a city councilor who Mr. Dyer felt was apparently not interested in what he had to say.

I contacted the Association’s Executive Board this morning regarding the Maine Wire story and asked their thoughts. Two of our board members were at the shooting locations. One of them told me the morning after the shooting about using the bowling pin as his only tool for self-defense. They both remembered what Ben did for us on that one-year anniversary, and I received a unanimous directive from these eight board members to respond to this story and stand behind Ben.

We issue this statement absent a risk-versus-reward mindset. We have full knowledge that we are entering into budget season, and the risk of offending one or a group of city councilors has its consequences. That said, we will always stand for what is right, and certainly we owe our support to Ben and all the families whose lives changed forever on that fateful night. Time will tell if our voice on this matter will have any positive or negative impact, but we are on the right side of this matter, and we stand alongside Ben Dyer.

I close with a quote from Martin Luther King: “True character is revealed through resilience, integrity, and actions during difficult times rather than in times of ease.” Ben is certainly resilient, and he will continue not to be a victim of October 25th.

01/19/2026

There is only one applicant that demonstrated the commitment to serve on the city council and made an effort to represent Ward 5 in the general election. It is no longer important how we have arrived at tomorrow’s agenda item, but your decision will be a defining moment for this city. While we respect all of the other applicants and their wishes to serve truth be told there is only one who appeared on the ballot and received hundreds of votes. It is time Lewiston makes news for the right reasons! Please do the right thing and appoint Eryn Soule.

12/31/2025

As we enter 2026, we are able to look back and be thankful for the generosity of Poland Spring, Blue Triton Brands and past City Administrator Heather Hunter’s advocacy in the donation of ballistic vests for every Lewiston Firefighter. Unfortunately, this has become a necessary standard issue for our department. While Lewiston has much to be proud of, so much needs to change. Issues that your firefighters deal with on a daily basis, opioid overdoses and crime, are all too common in our city. Once upon a time, firefighters only had to deal with fires. Our safety at just about every call is now an ever growing concern, the thought of stolen fire trucks or tools were never present, now it is an everyday concern which impacts our efforts to lend aid to those in need. Lewiston Firefighters always faced an aged housing inventory dating back to the great industrial era, buildings side by each, the volume of such housing and mill complexes is a unique difficulty for your firefighters, and few other departments in the state have the density of Lewiston’s inner city. Our hope is that 2026 will bring a realization that recognizing the magnitude of our problems is a good start. Let’s pray that 2026 leads to productive change this city surely needs. We are well aware that speaking publicly has it cost’s but we are confident that our views are shared by a majority of Lewiston residents. We are here to serve and speaking truth and communicating honestly is all we have left. Let’s all hope for a fruitful 2026!

12/26/2025

Giving back to the community is the foundation of the Lewiston Firefighters Association. For nearly 30 years, the Association has partnered with Hope Haven to provide toys to children in our area that likely would not have received any gifts this year. This year the Association funded over $1500 in toy donations. In our mission to serve our community we need to remember the true heroes amongst us, Kaydenz Kitchen. As an effort to assist all of their ever encompassing good works, the Association provided a $1000 donation to help the ever increasing needs of our community.

Kaydenz Kitchen Food Pantry

12/23/2025