Mount Desert Has Appointed a New Fire Chief.
just now
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Edward Jones Financial Advisor: Elise N. Frank.
MOUNT DESERT— After 21 years, the Town of Mount Desert has a new fire chief. The Mount Desert Selectboard had information about the appointment of the Assistant Fire Chief Kyle Stewart to the position at its November 2 meeting.
Vice Chair Wendy Littlefield indicated she was excited about Chief Stewart’s appointment.
“I can’t tell you how thrilled we all are,” Town Manager Alex Kimball said to the new chief.
The town has been thrilled, Kimball said, since Chief Stewart first arrived.
Chief Stewart was hired in June and had previously worked in Utah. Stewart retired from West Valley City Fire Department in 2025.
Fire Chief Michael Bender announced his retirement this February. He’s worked as chief for the department since 2005.
”Kyle was hired in the summer of 2005, after spending time at Ogden City Fire. Kyle attended paramedic school in 2007 at Weber State University. Throughout his career he prided himself on his extensive emergency medical knowledge and was able to help pass this on to the many junior paramedics who rotated through his stations over the years,” according to the West Valley City Fire Department’s social media when Chief Stewart retired from there.
The Mount Desert Fire Department’s social media post, Monday night both celebrated and thanked Chief Bender for his service.
“It is hard to summarize a career so full in a social media post. Chief Bender started out his journey as a volunteer with the Seal Harbor Fire Company, where he moved up the ranks and saw the Seal Harbor Fire Company merge with the three other departments in town to become the Mount Desert Fire Department,” the department wrote.
Former Chief Bender had spent nearly forty years in fire service, working three a.m. calls, dealing with horses that fell through barn floors, countless fires and trainings and rescues and mentorships and accidents.
“This decision to retire was not an easy one, as my passion for the fire service is as strong now as when I began this journey in 1985. It is hard to let go of a profession that has been an integral part of my life for the past 40 plus years. However, I am very confident that the command of the Mount Desert Fire Department will remain in capable hands,” Chief Bender wrote in his January 27 letter to the town’s Selectboard.
The Benders are a staple in the Mount Desert Island community. Michael married Marcia J. Tracy, both graduated from Mount Desert Island High School. Chief Bender was a member of the United States Air Force and the two resided in San Antonio, Texas, when they were first married.
Chief Bender has been part of the fire community and Mount Desert community, particularly in Seal Harbor, for decades, and they raised a family here. Prior to being the Mount Desert Fire Chief, he was the chief in Seal Harbor.
“It’s hard to accept,” said Mount Desert Selectboard member Rodney King when Chief Bender’s resignation came before the board this winter.
“Move acceptance with lots of thanks and good luck,” Vice Chair Wendy Littlefield said.
“Ditto,” agreed Chair John Macauley.
Ditto was the sentiment in the MDFD’s post.
“Chief Bender exemplifies the words so closely associated with the fire service, pride, integrity, and service. He took pride in his dept., his firefighters, his stations and trucks, and his community. Chief Bender made sure we all knew he expected us to act with integrity, even when no one was watching and absolutely when it was the hard choice. Chief Bender lives a life of service, service to his community, country and dept. Firefighters don’t get to decide when the tones go out, when the trucks roll, but they are there, ready to serve, so show up as their best for any person, no matter who,” they wrote. “Thank you for your guidance and your leadership Chief, we sure will miss you and hope you don’t stay away too long.”
The accolades and congratulations beneath that post grew throughout the night.
“Thank you Chief Bender for leading the Mount Desert Fire Department from its early stages into the well respected department it is today,” David Higgins wrote.
Others thanked Chief Bender for both setting an example and taking them under his wing.
Former Police Chief Jim Willis worked with Chief Bender for almost two decades and last winter spoke to Chief Bender’s focus, motivation, and friendship.
“Many years ago, Mike and I arrived at an active structure fire together, he was in an engine and me in a cruiser. After about 30 seconds we both realized nobody else was coming, back then there weren’t enough volunteers. In his turnout gear, Mike told me he couldn’t not do anything, he had to do something, I said I’d help if he told me what to do, and we began to get things ready together for when a crew did arrive. It wasn’t too long before other firemen came and they took care of things,” Willis said.
“When he took over, the Fire Department was still normalizing being one entity instead of a bunch of separate village-based departments with separate chiefs. It was clear from the beginning that Mike was accepted as chief by the volunteers, something that had been missing (previously),” Willis said.
According to newspaper reports from the time, Bender was appointed interim chief, initially working 24 hours a week, after the resignation of Chief Merrill Naylor in 2001. Chief Bender had acted as chief multiple times when Naylor, who was a member of the Air Force Reserves, was deployed. News reports at the time explained that the town had combined four volunteer departments covering its villages at the time. More than 20 applied for Chief Naylor’s position, a man from Orland was hired, but left the position by 2005.
That’s when Chief Bender was hired. Under his care, the department has combined with the ambulance service and grown to include two captains, two lieutenants, multiple paramedics and firefighter/AEMTs and firefighter/EMTs and firefighter/paramedics.
In March 2000, the town had voted to combine its four volunteer departments and hire a chief.
In his resignation letter, Chief Bender wrote, “I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to the officers and staff for their unwavering support, loyalty, and dedication to our department. Their commitment has not only made my job as chief more fulfilling but has also greatly contributed to the safety and well-being of our community.”
OTHER BUSINESS
Also during the meeting, the board members authorized the town to pay Gary’s Marine & Truck Repair $12,497. The money is to repair the ramp’s center section, which Harbormaster John Lemoine said in an October 27 memo had “cumulative damage done over the last two summers. The repair will prevent this damage from happening again in the future.”
He’d received two quotes for the repairs. One was from Chalmers Enterprises at $16,335 and the other from Gary’s Marine & Truck Repair.
The board also approved a utility location permit for 4 Steamboat Wharf Road.
In an October 29 memo from Public Works Director Brian Henkel, he explains, “The town has participated with the owner of 4 Steamboat Wharf Road, Dennis Shubert, on the design and construction of a new stormwater catch basin and stormwater conveyance pipe to collect and convey stormwater from Steamboat Wharf Road. Participation has been through two cost shares, first for the design and second for the construction. The Utility Location Permit Application before you is a required permit for the installation of this stormwater infrastructure.”
The town also approved Nancy Parsons to be acting town manager if the need arises.. Henkel will be away during the month of November.
During the board members comments, David MacDonald said he wanted the Selectboard to stay on top of the short-term rental discussions in the LUZO Committee and the Comprehensive Planning Committee.
The meeting lasted less than ten minutes.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Mount Desert’s Fire Chief Is Retiring
Feb 3
Mount Desert Appoints Assistant Fire Chief as Chief’s Retirement Nears.
Jun 3
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