PERU — Myriah Porter is taking a passion for firefighting and turning it into a career like many before her.
Porter, a senior at Dirigo High School in Dixfield, has been a junior firefighter with the Peru Fire Department since she was 14 years old. Even before that she was trying to find ways to help out around the station, she said.
“I washed trucks, swept floors, anything I could do I would,” she said.
Porter, who also is taking fire science classes through Foster Technology Center in Farmington, is one of the most trained firefighters for Peru, Chief Bill Hussey said.
Porter has taken Firefighter I and II, ladder training, search and rescue training, high angle rescues, a National Fire Association leadership course, and trains throughout Oxford County with various departments.
Porter said her love of firefighting came from her grandfather and mother who were also members of the department.
Peru Fire Chief Bill Hussey said there is long tradition of keeping firefighting in the family.
Ryan Dennett, a full-time firefighter for Brunswick Fire Department and a on call lieutenant with Gorham Fire Department, originally had his start in the career as a junior with Dixfield Fire Co.
Dennett said he has been around fire stations with his father, Dixfield Fire Co. Chief Scott Dennett, since he was 3.
“I grew up with it and as I got older it was something exciting and different to be part of,” he said.
Dennett also attended Foster Technology Center in its first year of offering a firefighting program, he said.
After graduating high school he continued his career at Southern Maine Community College, graduating in 2005 with a fire science degree.
Dennett said he loves firefighting because of the variety of things involved in the job.
“It’s not just fighting fires,” he said. “We do a variety of things like rescues and medic calls, it’s challenging.”
Porter hopes to travel the same path as Dennett and has been accepted to three colleges, although she’s not 100 percent sure what she wants to major in.
Porter will be starting a emergency medical technician course at the end of the month.
“I’m not sure if I want to do nursing, fire science, premed, or paramedicine,” she said. “Fire science is where my heart is but I know I should get as much education as possible.”
Porter said she enjoys firefighting because she loves to help people. She remembered a chimney fire on Christmas Eve where a young child was crying because she was afraid Santa wouldn’t be able to come.
“I got a stuffed animal out of the truck and gave it to her,” she said. “The smile on her face was priceless. That’s what firefighting is about.”
Porter said there are some struggles in being a young firefighter: Being in an adult career field one day and jumping back into being a high school student; and being a woman who has to prove she’s up for the challenge.
Hussey said others within the Peru Fire Department are sharing their passion of public service with their children.
Nicholas Milligan, 14, has joined the department as a junior firefighter. His father, Dean Milligan, is an assistant chief for the department and is the director of operations for Med-Care.
Hussey said he believed that passing down the desire to become a firefighter was unique to rural communities.
Dennett agreed, saying the career path is something that has been handed down through generations much like in the military.
His advice to Porter was to always put school first.
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- Myriah Porter
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