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| Cathy Gosselin has been a member of the Raymond Fire/Rescue Department since 1998 and also is the Health Officer for the Town of Raymond. She has served as Deputy Chief of Raymond Fire/Rescue since 2002. FILE PHOTO |
Editor’s note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.
Cathy Gosselin has spent more than two decades protecting and serving residents of the Town of Raymond and continues to be an outstanding example of how a dedicated public servant can make a significant difference in the community.
Gosselin has worked for the Raymond Fire/Rescue Department since 1998 and has served as Deputy Chief of Raymond Fire/Rescue since 2002. She also has duties as the Health Officer for the Town of Raymond, a role she’s performed for the past 10 years.
“I work as a paramedic/firefighter for the town and oversee the EMS division including the staffing, training, scheduling of call company shifts,” she said. “As the health officer, I deal with town health policies, and work to assist families and residents challenged with housing and/or medical needs.”
These are duties that Gosselin welcomes, and she says that she’s currently working on obtaining American Rescue Plan and Federal Emergency Management Agency grants for the town to help Raymond overcome lingering obstacles as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It has been a challenge with the pandemic to keep up with all of the medical changes and recommendations regarding COVID-19,” Gosselin said. “Everybody has been affected in some way by the pandemic and trying to keep everyone's enthusiasm for following guidelines can be a challenge. The fire/rescue departments around the state have lost call company personnel in the past few years and the need for more to go into the field is needed now more than ever.”
As Raymond’s Health Officer, Gosselin is charged with investigating possible public health hazards and risks within the town, taking action to prevent, remove, or destroy any public health hazards, taking action to lessen significant public health risks, and enforcing health laws, rules and permit conditions, and taking the steps necessary to enforce orders.
In her role as Raymond’s Deputy Fire Chief,
she supervises and
coordinates the activities of firefighters, including responding to
emergencies, providing proper training, managing firefighters, conducting
training, and ensuring that department policies and procedures are followed.
She assists Raymond Fire Chief Bruce Tupper in setting goals for the
department, establishing policies and procedures, handling grievances, disciplining
subordinates, meeting with union representatives, preparing the budget, and
periodically reviewing equipment for safety and purchasing new equipment as
needed. It’s a high-profile job within the town and comes with a defined public
presence, often means that Gosselin is called upon to speak at area schools,
community events, press events and other meetings as needed.
For many shut-ins and elderly residents, Gosselin
has been a lifeline throughout the pandemic by performing phone check-ins with
them and helping them survive by running errands for them such as going to the
grocery store and picking up necessities like prescriptions or arranging
transportation to doctor appointments. It shows a commitment to going above and
beyond to assist the most vulnerable members of the community who are
struggling and speaks volumes of how much she cares about all residents of
Raymond.
Gosselin said that her job never gets boring, and
she likes that no two days are ever the same.
“I like the fact that every day is different,
and you get to interact with the public. Throughout the pandemic, I
have had a great group of volunteers who made phone calls to the shut-ins,
helped with food insecurity and the education of the general public. The fire department
staff are a great group to work with and help make a big difference in Raymond.”
She grew up in Windham, and met her husband,
Bob, while attending college.
“I started in the EMS field 30 years ago while
working for the Windham Fire Department once my children were in
school and I became a paramedic in 2001,” Gosselin said. “We
moved to Raymond in 1998.”
She and Bob raised four children now adults and
they have four grandchildren.
“The grandkids are the most excited over my
career as they like seeing fire trucks,” Gosselin said.
In her free time, Gosselin enjoys a range of family and outdoor activities, and she also likes gardening, reading, and traveling.
As far as her best advice for those who are considering becoming a firefighter, Gosselin has some simple thoughts.“For those that are interested, understand that most full-time positions require both EMS and firefighting certifications,” she said. “The training required to do the job is never ending to keep up certifications and licenses but your commitment to your career will be rewarding.” <
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