By Ripley Harrington, '10 

The Proctor academy Fire department has officially returned as a campus activity. Since November of 2008, Jake Johnson and Brad Hardie have reignited the fire department after two years of absence. The Fire department was brought back for campus security issues, to raise safety awareness, and provide students with an activity of interest. 

The fire department has a long standing tradition within the school and has served as a real emergency service in the town of Andover. Before the Andover Fire Department was created, students at Proctor would be on scene first in the event of an emergency in the town. When the Andover Fire Department was put into place the Proctor Fire department suddenly had much less responsibility and rarely responded to emergencies. 

The firefighters are eager to start the new year. The department has been considering the purchase of a new fire engine as the last one was sold many years ago. This is just a part of the plan to equip the boys and girls with newer state of the art gear. A new set of fire retardant jackets and pants has  been donated and shipped to the school from a firefighting development program. Student firefighter Truman Fleming has lots of enthusiasm for starting firefighting this year again, “I am exited to continue exploring the opportunities that the fire department has to offer.” 

Amy Fecteau is a librarian at Proctor Academy. She attended Proctor in the early nineties, and is now a paramedic in East Andover. Her husband is a professional firefighter in New Hampshire and has taken the PAFD on a couple fire house tours and information sessions of his fire department.  Amy helped us with the department last year when we needed the most help, and her contributions are greatly appreciated by the members of the fire department. She noted,  “The fire department used to be a main presence on game days during football games in the eighties and the nineties. It was sort of a tradition that Proctor had when the fire truck was at the football games and would be at the bonfires before the games.” 
 

Amy reminisced on the role of the department back when she was in school adding that she remembers that the fire shed used to be at the location of the current Carriage House. For students who are involved, the fire department is appreciated and makes the student body feel safe.  Kade Stallard, a sophomore from Bermuda, said, “The fire squad’s presence on campus basically just reassures me. When I see the fire department whether it be the chief Sam Brown, or one of the average joe firefighters, I feel a sense of community and safety.”