Fire bell rang for the final time

- The final chapter of the Loring Air Force Base was closed on Saturday. A decommissioning ceremony was held as part of the Loring Open House. It was for the Loring Air Force Base Fire Department. They were the first organization on the base and now the last to leave. The fire bell at the base rang three times during the ceremony. It marked the end.

Many of the fire department's firefighters had mixed emotions about the closure. Former base fire chief, Norman McPherson, said it's hard to see everything disappear but with time all things do go. He says he will miss the men and women that served on the Loring Air Force Base fire department the most. They provided protection to thousands and thousands of people, all the facilities and all of the aircraft. Raymond Porter, was a fire fighter on the base. He said he remembers the sad times when they lost people in air craft accidents or in a house fire but he also remembers the good times and the friendships he made at Loring.

The fire department rolled up their banner and gave it to the Loring Heritage Center to be kept on display.