Western Mainers to tell emergency services tales at Storytelling Festival July 21

FARMINGTON- One of the new additions to this year’s Western Maine Storytelling Festival, to be held in Farmington July 20-21, will be the Western Maine Talkers storytelling circle. This Festival session features a group of emergency services personnel who will share their stories about the challenges and the satisfactions of their chosen careers – police, fire, ambulance, emergency communications, and, in a somewhat different vein, emergency veterinary work.

Scott Nichols

Scott Nichols is Chief of Police at Carrabassett Valley. He served for many years with the Maine State Police. He patrolled Franklin and Somerset counties, and then he was promoted to detective in the criminal investigation division where he was responsible for homicide and other major investigations. He was also a member of the tactical team (SWAT). In 2004-2005, he worked as an advisor to the Iraqi National Police in the war zone.

Tom Doak

Tom Doak is deputy chief of the Wilton Fire and Rescue Department. Tom began his firefighting career in Rangeley in 1957, and served there until 1983. He moved to Wilton in that year and has been active with the Wilton Fire Department ever since. Tom is also a paramedic with NorthStar, the ambulance service of Franklin Memorial Hospital. Tom was honored in May 2012 as NorthStar’s “EMT of the Year.”

Carol Pillsbury

Carol Pillsbury is a paramedic with NorthStar Ambulance. Carol has been involved in EMS (Emergency Medical Services) since 1980. Carol is a member of the State EMS Education Committee, a member of the Critical Incident Stress Management team, past chair of the Maine Emergency Medical Services Investigation Committee, and she is the training coordinator for NorthStar.

Rob Lively

Rob Lively served as an EMT with the Wilton volunteer ambulance service for 11 years. He then team-taught the course, “Emergency Medical Care,” at University of Maine at Farmington for many years with Dr. Paul Brinkman. Rob is currently the associate provost and dean of Academic Services at UMF.

Joe Ross

Joe Ross served in Army Electronics Intelligence as a career Special Operations NCO. After retiring, Joe shared his communications knowledge and skills with the American Red Cross for 10 years. He participated in over 40 major disasters around the country. He was called to Ground Zero after 9/11 and stayed there for 12 weeks. He was also part of the team that responded to the 9/11 Flight 93 disaster in Pennsylvania.

Michael Cooper

Michael Cooper, who is a featured storyteller during other festival sessions this year, will talk about his father, the legendary 60-year Maine veterinarian, Dr. E.L. Cooper. Michael’s first memory of accompanying his dad on a late night emergency calving case stretches back to the age of five. “It was a cold February evening.…”

The Emergency Services storytelling circle is free and open to the public. Folklorist Peggy Yocom, a member of the festival board, will be the moderator. The session will be held 3:30 – 5 pm, Saturday, July 21, in the Emery Community Arts Center on the University of Maine at Farmington campus. For additional information about the Western Maine Storytelling Festival, go to the website www.wmsfestival.org, or contact info@wmsfestival.org.