BANGOR, Maine — Union firefighters in Bangor are still fighting to receive ARPA funding after their initial request nearly two years ago.
"It was hard not to feel left behind as a first responder," Bangor firefighter Ryan Blanchett said.
This week, the Bangor Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 772 shared a statement on social media, again calling to be included.
"I have knocked on the door a thousand times and it has not been opened," President of Local 772 Jared Willey said.
According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the funds were in part supposed to help reimburse essential workers through premium pay for the necessary services they provided during the pandemic.
"We helped the city run and function and took care of the people here and the residents and continue to show up and do our job," Blanchett said.
Serving his community as a firefighter for 18 years now, Blanchett said the pandemic was an especially difficult time to be a first responder.
"It felt like we were going off of no knowledge at all. You're getting out of bed that morning to come in to work not knowing what you were going to face," Blanchett said.
And for the service he provided during that time, he said the lack of support in return from the city has been shocking.
"When help's there and that olive branch is there and they don't hand it out to you, it's hard. It's a hard pill to swallow," Blanchett added.
A sentiment that according to Willey, has been felt throughout the department, leading to a number of people leaving their positions.
"We've lost a lot of qualified employees during just this last two years. Maybe two dozen members," Willey said.
To address the number of firefighters quitting as well as help mend their relationship with the department, Bangor City Councilor Joseph Leonard said the city needs to step up.
"We have to heavily consider granting these funds as a one-time bonus to our firefighters so this cannot be the start of a healing process, but also making sure that we don't ever let go of their hand in the future," Leonard said.
Something that Blanchett said would mean a lot to himself, and other firefighters in Bangor.
"It'd mean they cared; it'd mean that they understood what we went through," Blanchett said.
While about $700,000 in interest money accrued from the funding is all that remains of the original $20.48 million relief package, firefighters say they won't stop fighting until every single penny has been allocated.
