Firefighting technology at work at a Pierce Street apartment building in Lewiston on May 3, 2013. The fire engulfed four buildings and was the second of three multi-building fires in the city between April 29 and May 6. Photograph by Michael Bradley/ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College.

Three fires in downtown Lewiston since April 29, 2013, have destroyed 10 buildings and displaced nearly 200 Lewiston residents.

The details have been reported in the .

As the Lewiston-Auburn community rallies to support the victims, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is coordinating campus efforts to participate in the relief initiatives. A ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ response webpage listing events, volunteer opportunities, most-urgent needs, local charities and fundraising initiatives will be updated as needed. Please direct any questions to Kristen Cloutier of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at kcloutie@bates.edu or 207-786-6202.

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Director of Security Tom Carey said that his team is actively monitoring campus buildings and remains in close touch with the Lewiston Police Department. As a precautionary measure, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Security has enhanced its overnight coverage of the campus and immediate environs, he said.

• See resources for the fire relief effort.

All ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ residence halls and campus buildings are tied to a central fire reporting station, which goes directly to the Lewiston Fire Department. ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Security also receives notification and responds immediately when a smoke alarm is set off. Carey has urged the campus community to contact Security at 786-6254 immediately if anyone or any situation appears to be out of the ordinary. 

ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College is partnering with the Androscoggin Unified Emergency Management Agency, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Central Maine Medical Center and Lewiston city services, including the fire and police departments, in an emergency training exercise at the College’s Underhill Arena from 7 a.m. to noon Thursday, Aug. 20.

The training exercise scenario will be based on a mock ammonia release. Underhill, which houses a skating rink, stores approximately 700 pounds of ammonia for use in making ice.

Underhill and sections of the adjacent parking lot will be closed during the exercise. Merrill Gym and the track will still be available for use.

The exercise will provide training in responses of fire, police, Cobra Team (a combined HazMat and evidence collection team), Lewiston Public Works, the 911 Communications Center and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½. It will be the first large-scale field exercise ever conducted by the city of Lewiston.

Other participating facilities include Russell Park Manor, D’Youville Pavilion and United Ambulance. A training consultant company, Life Safety Specialists, will facilitate the exercise.

This training will allow ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½’ Security and Campus Safety office to test the outdoor emergency notification speakers located around campus. A brief test message will be sent through the speakers during the exercise.

No roads will be closed and no businesses will be affected by the exercise, but the public can expect to see 75 to 100 public safety personnel working around Underhill Arena, some in hazardous materials suits.

Funding for the event was provided through a federal Homeland Security Grant.