The Wales Fire Department’s firefighter roster has increased to 14 firefighters following the resignations of about dozen firefighters in April.

“Maine small communities are resilient,” Eric Gagnon, chairman of the Select Board, wrote in an email.  “Ours has come together and I can report that we currently have 14 members with 2 more applications pending.”

There is an ongoing investigation into firefighters’ allegations about “safety concerns” and claims that Fire Chief Scott Dimmick is not qualified.

In April, about a dozen firefighters demanded Dimmick resign. When he didn’t they walked out.

Wales’ three selectmen voted unanimously to have an independent investigator look into the allegations.

Of the firefighters on the roster, Gagnon wrote that six members stayed on in April, four are past members that rejoined, and four are new members with varying levels of experience.

“We are still looking for applicants,” he said.  “We could use more (self-contained breathing apparatus) qualified personnel, but we currently have the same number of interior SCBA firefighters as we did before the resignations.”

Three members want to take the Firefighter I and Firefighter II classes to become certified.

“We are researching where and when the next classes are available,” Gagnon wrote.

The department had eight fire calls in April and the department covered all of them, he said.

“We have had 10 emergency medical service calls and have covered nine of them,” he said.  “The one we missed was a weekday daytime call and United Ambulance responded.”

Leaders of mutual aid fire departments from nearby towns vowed last month to help the Wales department.

Dimmick, who was appointed fire chief in 2023, could not be reached for immediate comment Monday.