Androscoggin County Emergency Management Agency

06/17/2026

🚨 SCAM ALERT FOR VETERANS! 🚨
The VA is warning Veterans about a fraudulent message claiming free athletic shoes. 👟❌ This is NOT from the VA and is a tactic to steal your information.

❌ Do NOT respond
❌ Do NOT click any links
❌ Do NOT provide personal information

If you receive this message, please report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Stay vigilant and verify unexpected offers!

⚠️ SCAM ALERT FOR VETERANS

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been made aware of a fraudulent message claiming that Veterans can receive free athletic shoes from VA. This message is NOT from the VA.

Scammers are using this tactic to collect personal information and potentially steal identities.

If you receive one of these messages:
❌ Do not respond
❌ Do not click any links
❌ Do not provide personal information

If you believe you've received a fraudulent message, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Please help protect fellow Veterans by sharing this information. Stay vigilant and always verify unexpected offers before responding.

06/16/2026

📢 ATTENTION MAINE FAMILIES! 📢
Summer is here, and so are the SUN Bucks and SUN Meals Programs to help ensure our children have access to nutritious food throughout the summer months! ☀️🍎

✔️SUN BUCKS (SUMMER EBT):
Eligible families will receive a one-time $120 food benefit per school-aged child to help buy groceries. Approximately 85,000 Maine children are expected to receive these benefits! Most eligible families will be automatically enrolled and benefits are being added to EBT cards by the end of the first week of June.

✔️SUN MEALS:
Free meals are available for children and teens 18 and younger at sites statewide. Look for traditional meal sites and SUN Meals To-Go options, including pick-up and delivery in rural areas!

Learn more about eligibility, benefits, and meal locations at:
https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/news/sun-bucks-and-sun-meals-programs-return-aid-summer-food-access-maine-children-2026-06-03

***NOTE: The USDA’s site finder is expected to be updated to include Maine-specific locations before the end of the month.

06/12/2026

🧸Diapers? Check. First Aid? Check. ...But what about the scary noises?🚨

CHILD CARE PROVIDERS:
When an emergency happens, fire alarms, sirens, and sudden evacuations can be incredibly traumatizing for little ones.
Have you considered adding sensory items—like noise-canceling headphones, comfort toys, or distraction games—to your facility's emergency "Go-Bag"?

Keeping kids physically safe is step one. Keeping them calm is step two.

As summer ramps up and your child count grows, make sure your emergency plans are up to date.

📝FEMA’s FREE course, Preparedness for Child Care Providers (IS-36.A), helps you think outside the box. It includes an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Toolkit to help you customize a plan that fits the unique ages and needs of the children in your care.

🎒 Get your facility ready for the summer. Take the free course and download your toolkit here: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-36.a&lang=en

06/08/2026

Strong communities depend on dedicated individuals willing to serve others when they need help most.

Congratulations to Joey Adams on completing Firefighter I & II and earning his Interior Firefighter certification. We are proud to recognize the hard work and commitment behind this achievement and wish him a safe and successful career as he continues his family's proud tradition of service. 🚒🔥

06/03/2026

🌀 Hurricane Season is officially underway.
Before you scroll past because "we don't get hurricanes in Maine"...

Think again. Here’s just ONE example.

In October 1996, Hurricane Lili tracked hundreds of miles offshore. Even though the storm stayed far out at sea, its moisture teamed up with an inland weather system to dump historic rainfall on southern Maine 🌧️. The resulting floods shut down clean water access to Portland for 24 hours and caused over $25 million in damage.

While the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season is expected to be quieter than average, "below normal" doesn't mean "no risk." It only takes one storm to bring damaging winds, flooding, washed-out roads, and prolonged power outages to communities across Maine.

Take time now to:
✅ Review your emergency plan: https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan
✅ Replenish your emergency kit: https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit
✅ Check your generators and backup power supplies
✅ Stay informed throughout the season

Be prepared not scared this hurricane season.



Photo Credits: U.S.G.S. and The Portland Newspapers (with various photographers credited in image caption).

06/01/2026

What do cybersecurity, emergency management, public safety, and critical infrastructure all have in common?

They're only as strong as the people protecting them.

Last week, we welcomed an outstanding group of professionals for two days of Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service - TEEX cybersecurity training:

• Developing Cybersecurity Resiliency for Everyone
• Understanding Targeted Cyber Attacks

The turnout exceeded our expectations and brought together participants from many different backgrounds including:

• Partner Emergency Management Agencies
• U.S. Coast Guard
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
• Maine Revenue Services
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention
• and many others!

A huge thank you to Poland Fire Rescue Department for providing an excellent training space and helping make this opportunity possible.

We also can't say enough about TEEX instructors Amber and Monique. Their enthusiasm, real-world experience, and passion for cybersecurity transformed complex topics into engaging discussions that kept attendees learning, participating, and asking questions throughout both days.

Cyber threats continue to evolve every day, and training like this helps ensure our organizations and communities are prepared to meet those challenges head-on.

Thank you to everyone who attended and invested in strengthening our collective resilience.



Edited: Adjusted classroom images.

05/27/2026

Be honest... do you have a power cord tucked under a rug right now? Or maybe two extension cords plugged into each other? 🛑🔌

We all rely on electricity to power our lives, but we often take the safety of our outlets and cords for granted! May is ⚡National Electrical Safety Month⚡, making it the perfect time to do a quick sweep of your home.

✅ Are outlets or switches warm to the touch?
✅ Do you hear buzzing or crackling from outlets?
✅ Are cords damaged, frayed, or pinched?
✅ Are too many devices plugged into one outlet?
✅ Are your smoke alarms up to date?

Take 5 minutes today to look around your house.

🔎Want to know what else to look for? ESFI has a fantastic educational library of resources tailored for assisting homeowners, consumers, older adults, and children with electrical safety.

📚 Brush up on your safety knowledge here: https://www.esfi.org/resource-library/

05/25/2026

Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave everything in defense of our nation and our communities.

Their sacrifice reminds us of the strength, resilience, and unity that continue to define our country.

As we gather with family and friends this weekend, may we also take a moment to remember the fallen, honor their service, and support the families who carry their legacy forward.

We remember. We honor. We will never forget.

05/22/2026

🛑 STOP! Before you scrub down that grill for the long weekend, check your brush!
It’s National Barbecue Month, and as we kick off Memorial Day Weekend we want to talk about a grilling danger most people never think about:

WIRE GRILL BRUSHES.

Those tiny wire bristles can easily snap off, stick to your grill grates, and end up hidden inside your burgers or chicken. Every year, people end up in the ER with severe throat and stomach injuries from accidentally swallowing these sharp metal wires.

✅ EMA PRO-TIP:
Ditch the old wire brush this weekend! Instead, use a wooden grill scraper, a nylon-bristle brush (only on a cool grill), or our favorite hack: a crumpled-up ball of aluminum foil held by a pair of tongs!

Have a fantastic and SAFE holiday weekend! 🍔🌭