HARPSWELL

Harpswell selectmen last week recognized Robert McAleer for his service as the town’s emergency management agent.

“He has served in the position of emergency management agent for the town for three and a half years, and we are very grateful that he stepped up to do so,” said Selectman Rick Daniel.

At the end of December, Fire Warden Art Howe was appointed as the emergency management agent, and will serve in both positions dually. Howe is the town’s first fire warden, and was hired in 2017 with the expectation that the emergency management agent position would be absorbed into his position at the end of the year.

McAleer previously served as director of Maine Emergency Management Agency for several years. He was appointed to that post by then-Gov. John Baldacci and continued in that role for most of Gov. Paul LePage’s first term. After stepping down in 2013, McAleer, a Harpswell resident, was asked to assist the town in preparing for emergencies.

“We first asked him if he would help us prepare our emergency management booklet,” said Daniel, “and he not only did that, but took over the position as well.

“He has set Harpswell on very strong ground to face anything that might come our way. Harpswell without a doubt had the most qualified EMA in the state of Maine,” he added before handing McAleer a certificate of recognition at the selectmen’s meeting. “He was a consummate professional in all aspects of his responsibilities. He was also an outstanding volunteer, particularly for the veterans.”

McAleer helped steer the town’s response to the October wind storm and oversaw the repair of the lines between Orr’s Island and Bailey Island when they fell shortly after the storm.

“It was indeed a pleasure to be the town’s emergency management agent,” said McAleer. “I’ve served at all kinds of levels — nationally, internationally, state, county — and then when Rick asked me about the job, I thought, ‘why not?’ Why not take care of the people that I live with.”

He said the position gave him new insight into what Harpswell’s volunteer emergency responders do in the town.

“The job helped me gain a whole new appreciation for what this town gets out of its volunteer emergency services folks — the fire folks and the EMS folks,” McAleer said, noting the high number of calls the volunteers fielded daily. “What truly gave me a new appreciation for the service we get out of these incredible volunteers is the fact that that radio got responded to as fast as it did. Almost without fail, it was on the first call.”