Lisbon’s new Fire Chief Nathan LeClair knew from a young age he wanted to be a firefighter.

A member of the Lisbon’s volunteer fire department since 1996, LeClair said his father was a firefighter, and the desire to become one was something with which he was born.

LeClair, who will take over as chief on May 7, was inspired to help others from a young age, becoming a lifeguard at the age of 15. When he was old enough, firefighting called.

“I’ve always liked the idea of helping people and in this is kind of team environment,” said LeClair,

The job of firefighting itself can be unforgiving, and it’s not easy to escape the harsh realities being of the job. LeClair specifically recalled a double fatal car crash on Summer Street that stands out in his mind.

“Usually the ones that stick out are the ones you really don’t want to remember,” he said.

Lisbon has been without a chief since Sean Galipeau left on medical leave in September 2017. LeClair gained experience helping fill the void in that time.

In January, he learned the department would be looking for a new chief and saw his chance to continue helping others.

“I lived here before working for the fire department,” said LeClair. “I grew up in Old Town. Old Town’s a mill town and coming down here kind of reminded me a lot of what I grew up in. It’s a small town feel.”

LeClair has also served for 18 years as a firefighter/paramedic in Brunswick, and the decision to leave to take over in Lisbon was difficult.

As Lisbon’s future chief, LeClair believes finding enough personnel to run the volunteer department will be his biggest initial challenge.

“It’s not a town of Lisbon problem. It’s a national problem,” he said. “Society in itself, people are just getting busier and busier.”

Because training requirements are the same for volunteer and paid firefighters, LeClair said, it’s difficult for the volunteer departments to maintain staffing.

“It means not only taking time away from your families to go on calls, but taking time away from your families to go on trainings and meetings to meet all those national and state regulations,” said LeClair. “People’s lives get busier and they don’t want to put that time forward with little return.”

LeClair will be taking over as a new voice for a department that has had the same chief for more than a decade. He plans to identify areas where things have been working within the department and use that as a guide moving forward.

LeClair said he is up to the challenges, because he still wants to help others.

“I think it falls on anybody who is in public safety, whether you’re law enforcement, fire or EMS,” said LeClair.” It’s not just a job, it’s part of who you are. It wraps up your entire being. It’s your personality.”