Senator Collins Visits Washburn to Review Public Safety Building
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Washburn, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins visited Washburn to tour the more than 100-year-old municipal building that needs to be replaced. Senator Collins was joined by Washburn Town Manager Donna Turner, Police Chief Cyr Martin, Fire Chief Nathan Allen, Code Enforcement Officer Adam Doody, and Town Council Chair Keith Brown.
Senator Collins submitted a congressionally directed spending request for $750,000 for the construction of a new facility for Washburn’s police and fire departments as well as the town office. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is working to secure this funding through the ongoing appropriations process.
“In Washburn today, I saw firsthand the importance of replacing the more than 100-year-old municipal building to create a safer work environment and better protect the dedicated public servants and local community,” said Senator Collins. “By supporting the construction of a new facility, this investment would allow Washburn’s brave firefighters and police officers to continue to deliver reliable emergency services to protect local residents and businesses while also providing new office space for the town.”
Office space in the existing municipal building is very limited, requiring three full-time police officers to share two desks. The close proximity of the police department to the municipal offices creates safety risks for non-law enforcement employees and jeopardizes victims’ and suspects’ right to privacy. The building also lacks secure evidence storage and does not have a room for questioning suspects. Furthermore, the fire department desperately needs to replace an old fuel truck with an up-to-date tanker truck, but it will not fit into the current building.
The federal funding would allow Washburn to build a new public safety building with more space and heightened privacy for each department. In addition, it will incorporate space for a new fuel truck for the fire department.
Washburn is home to approximately 1,700 Mainers. The Fire Department has 18 volunteer firefighters, while the Police Department employs three full-time officers.
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