Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representative Jared Golden announced today that $1 million in funding they requested for the construction of a new Rumford Fire Station was included in the Fiscal Year 2022 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Bill.  As the Ranking Member and lead Republican on the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Collins co-authored this bill.

The omnibus funding package passed the House and the Senate and now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“The construction of a new Rumford Fire Station will help ensure the brave firemen and women can continue to protect families in area communities,” said Senator Collins.  “The current fire station is nearly a century old and has significant structural deficiencies that pose safety concerns.  As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I strongly advocated on behalf of Rumford Fire Department to include this critical project in the funding bill.”

“Across our state, Maine fire departments save lives, create good-paying jobs, and are cornerstones of our communities,” said Senator King. “Modern, efficient fire stations are essential to this mission, and with federal support for a brand new station, the hardworking men and women Rumford Fire Department will have a facility that allows them to better serve the people in the area, while keeping themselves safe.”

“I am proud to help deliver this funding for a long-overdue fire station for Rumford. For over a hundred years, Rumford’s firefighters have put their lives on the line to protect their community,” said Congressman Golden. “Times have changed, but their fire station hasn’t. Construction of a new fire station in Rumford will help these first responders do their jobs and keep them and the Rumford community safe. Thank you to the Town of Rumford for being such a great partner and advocate in securing this funding.”

“The Town of Rumford is deeply grateful for the hard work of our Congressional delegation, Senator Collins, Senator King and Representative Golden. The delegation’s tireless efforts on behalf of the new Rumford Fire Station project were essential to the overwhelming approval by local voters at the Special Town Meeting in January,” said Rumford Town Manager Stacy Carter.  “ The new Rumford Fire Station will assure our firefighters of a safe building, free of concerns regarding structural collapse, and capable of housing our largest apparatus.  This critical funding gave the people of Rumford confidence in making the commitments necessary to authorize the project which had been under serious consideration since 1989.  The project has previously seen three separate proposals over the past 33 years all of which were rejected due to concerns about cost and the future of the local economy.”

The current Central Fire Station in Rumford, built in 1923, is not well suited to house modern firefighting equipment.  Additionally, the building has deep cracks in its concrete floor, foundation, and load-bearing walls, putting it at risk of structural failure.