Meet the New President of the Portland Professional Firefighters (IAFF 740)

Congratulations to Nathan Elmore, who was recently elected as President of the Portland Professional Firefighters (IAFF 740) to succeed former President Chris Thomson. Originally Elmore says he was studying to become a dentist, but while volunteering on the ambulance at Kennebunkport he fell in love with the job.

“Every day is different. You never know what challenge you’re going to tackle that day, who you’re going to help or how you’re going to do it,” said Elmore. It’s a really rewarding job and hardly a day passes when you don’t feel like you at least helped one person.”

Elmore previously served as Vice President and when Thomson announced his retirement at the end of 2021, he decided to run for the open seat and won in a four-way race. At 28, Elmore is one of the youngest presidents elected to head Maine’s largest firefighter local. 

Elmore says his top priority is the health and welfare of his members, which includes both firefighter/paramedics and emergency dispatchers. Last year, Elmore worked with the former president to establish a health and welfare fund to support members and hopefully other IAFF locals and the larger labor community. Dividends from the fund will be used to assist firefighters in crisis, including providing treatment for PTSD, substance abuse and other mental health issues.

Elmore says he’s also working to address the staffing shortage as the department is currently down 15 employees, requiring members to work forced overtime. The union is in the process of trying to reinstate some of the nine members who left the department due to the COVID vaccine mandate, but have since decided to get the vaccine. Another big project includes working with the city to adopt a program that allows firefighters and dispatchers to continue working while drawing a pension.

“With our rapid turnover, this is something that would help keep some of the more senior people here longer so they can continue to pass their knowledge on,” said Elmore. "Even some chiefs in our department have this in their contracts.”

The labor shortage is particularly pronounced among dispatchers as communications is currently staffed at half of where it should be. The department now provides a $10,000 sign on bonus, but the dispatchers are trying to negotiate a new contract that includes an increase in the employer pension contribution from a 50 percent match to 2/3, which is what the firefighters receive. In 2019, the Professional Firefighters of Maine and Maine AFL-CIO worked to pass a law that allows emergency dispatchers to retire at 25 years of service under the same special retirement plan that firefighters and police have. All of these proposals are possible due to the collective strength of firefighters and their brothers and sisters in the labor movement.

“I would recommend anyone joining a union, whatever field you’re in,” said Elmore. “Working as a union member helps ensure fair treatment for everyone and keeps safety high up on the list of things that really matter. For good contractual wages and a safe working environment, going union is the way to go.”