WELLS — Sirens wailed as friends, family and former members of the force gathered Wednesday to celebrate the career of Wells Fire Department Chief Daniel Moore, who retires today after 34 years of service with the department – 14 of which have been spent as chief.

During an open house at the Wells Fire Station, people came to thank Moore for his service and wish him the best in his retirement. It was a time of reflection for a man who has spent the majority of his life dedicated to public safety.

“I was 17 when I joined the Wells Beach Fire Department,” Moore said. “Ever since then, I haven’t looked back.”

The son of a New York City police officer of 20 years and the grandson of a 40-year veteran captain of the New York City Fire Department, Moore said it was natural for him to seek a career in public safety.

“It’s in my blood,” he said.

Moore, who moved to Wells in 1978, said he was grateful for the experience of growing up in a tight-knit community as opposed to the big city.

“It was a good move to get out of New York and come up here,” he said. “Coming up here really made a big difference in how I grew up, picking up where the community is and the character of the community, and how people in the town really sort of take care of each other.”

He said he is astounded at the way things have changed in the past 34 years – in the town, in his job and in the expectations placed upon him and his force.

“If you look back to 1978 when I first moved here, look at the town now: double the population, the places I used to go hunting and fishing you can’t because of all the growth of the houses and developments and such forth,” Moore said. “Wells has grown. I never expected it to grow like this. It’s been interesting just to see the different types of growth and what potential the town still has for the future of it.”

In his nearly 31/2 decades of public service, Moore holds that his job is interesting because “there’s never anything the same day, twice.”

But it’s not easy work. Between dealing with continuous calls and sleepless nights, Moore said the public, although mostly grateful for the department’s service, has the occasional negative reaction. And that hits home.

“The hardest part of the job is, when the firefighters and the members of the fire department – when the guys out here do a really great job – there’s always one naysayer,” Moore said. “People in emergency services are under a lot of stress. It’s different from when I first started, too, what the expectations are today. Hence, the difficulties for attracting people to be volunteers.”

Despite the many challenges facing Moore, his former mentor said he has risen to tackle every single one.

“He went to school with our daughter,” said Robert Rozeff, 78, a retired 30- year veteran of Wells Fire Department. “Danny was my last partner, and I was glad to see he got the chief job. It was strange to work here when everyone else was young and I was old. I kind of mentored these young firefighters.”

“We’ve known Danny for years,” said Robert’s wife, Gloria Rozeff, 71. “We know his family, his children, and he’s a good person.”

Former colleagues and friends aren’t the only ones who have taken notice of Moore’s commitment to the town.

Bonita “Bonnie” Pothier, Scarborough regional representative for U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, was present at the open house to present Moore with a letter from the senator that thanked Moore for his service.

Although the letter’s exact wording was not read aloud, Pothier took a moment to say to the press that Moore understands the senator’s mission of enacting legislation that is in the best interest of the state, and that Moore has “been great working with us.”

The city hopes to hire a new fire chief soon. On Wednesday night, a recruitment committee held a closed workshop to evaluate 37 applications for the position. Applications were ranked prior to the meeting, said Town Manager Jon Carter. The committee will interview applicants in July.

As for Moore, he isn’t sure just what he plans to do in retirement – he says he’s leaving because “it’s time to try something new” – but he does plan to take time off to spend with his daughters and grandson, and to finish the house he has been building since 2007.

“I’ll miss the things I learned from everybody here, both in the Fire Department and people I’ve had to help or work on projects with,” he said. “But 34 years is a long time.”

There’s one thing he said he won’t miss: his radio, which for 14 years has been a permanent fixture of either his hip or bedside night stand.

Moore said he is eager to see what opportunities come his way in retirement, whatever they may be, as he hangs up his uniform for the last time.

“For the first time in my adult life, I won’t have any association with the fire service for a little while,” he said. “That, to me, is a new territory to explore.”

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.

Copy the Story Link