Orono approves response to Long Lake as assistant chief calls council action unnecessary

The Orono City Council on July 22 approved a draft letter responding to Long Lake’s July 18 communication about waterfront fire-service coverage, a decision that drew public criticism from Long Lake Fire officials and some Orono residents.

The draft letter the council approved thanks Long Lake for its letter, notes disappointment at Long Lake’s refusal of an Orono offer, and states that Orono has coordinated alternate coverage to ensure continuity of emergency response. During council discussion, the Fire Chief explained that the city had contacted Mound Fire Department and Excelsior as short-term or backup partners and said dispatching arrangements were adjusted in June so Mound would be paged and Orono paged simultaneously for certain lake-area calls.

Cody Farley, assistant chief with the Long Lake Fire Department, told the council during public comment that an initial CAD-zone adjustment was the result of an oversight and that Long Lake had intended to remain primary for the lake response areas until the end of the contract. “Long Lake Fire was maintained as the primary response... Mound as the secondary response,” he said, and he described the council’s letter as unnecessary and damaging to interjurisdictional teamwork. Farley asked the council to repeal and retract the decision to change coverage for those areas.

Resident Sandy Whistler reviewed budget figures and said she was troubled by the cost of the city’s new fire department; she cited planned operating and capital numbers from the city budget and the 2024 operating budget in urging more public input. Kelly Grady, another resident, echoed Farley’s point that Long Lake had signaled a willingness to continue full waterfront coverage and said the area had been in limbo because of delayed corrective action.

Several council members said they had sought edits and clarifications to the draft letter; some members asked that suggested edits be submitted in writing rather than on the floor. Despite those concerns, the council voted to approve the draft letter, 4–1, with Council member Benson recorded as the lone dissenting vote.

The vote formalizes Orono’s response to Long Lake and records the city’s current expectations for alternate short-term coverage; Long Lake officials urged the council to revisit the move and pursue coordination to preserve mutual-aid relationships.