The Lahaie Fund is announcing a commitment of $15,000 to the Peter L. Rines Memorial Scholarship for the Southern Maine Community College Maine Fire Service Institute training. The scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to those looking to attend the institute’s Fire Instructor Program or Fire Officer Program/ Academy, held at the college’s Midcoast Campus in Brunswick.
Rines, who the scholarship was created in memory of, started as an on-call firefighter for Wiscasset and began training Maine’s firefighters as a State Fire Instructor in 1998. While at the institute, he served as a training, certification and curriculum manager and developed nationally recognized certification programs.
Upon his passing in September 2021, the scholarship was established by the Lahaie Fund to continue his legacy of commitment to the training and education of Maine firefighters. The donated funds allow for scholarships to be awarded on a rolling basis to those who are interested in and qualify for training.
Jim Graves, Director of the MFSI, said Rines was a true Mainer and he cared deeply for the Maine fire service.
“Peter will forever be remembered as a person who was dedicated to improving the lives of countless individual fire service members through training. This scholarship will keep his memory alive,” Graves said.
The Lahaie Fund’s $15,000 donation was given with the goal of a challenge match, said Sherm Lahaie from the Lahaie Foundation.
“We hope that creating this scholarship, particularly the challenge match, will inspire the thousands of Maine firefighters who have benefited from the certification training to pay it forward to help us reach our goal of raising $30,000 to endow the scholarship permanently,” Lahaie said. “This will provide future Fire Service Leaders the opportunity to be prepared for many years to come.”
The scholarship is available to students in good standing with a Maine Fire Department who have the necessary prerequisites and demonstrate personal financial need.
Students interested in applying can contact Jim Graves at jgraves@smccME.edu or (207) 844-2078. Those who would like to donate to this scholarship can visit smccME.edu/donate and indicate their donation in memory of Peter L. Rines.
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