Orono’s fire chief resigns to take job in Ellsworth

Orono’s fire chief of six years has resigned to take a job as deputy chief in Ellsworth.

Geoffrey Low, who began as chief in April 2018, resigned two weeks ago and will work until the end of June, interim Town Manager Cornell Knight said.

His departure is the latest in a chain of municipal staffers leaving the town since last fall, including Town Manager Sophie Wilson , Public Works Director Rob Yerxa and several others.

The Town Council is nearing the end of its search for a new manager and last week revealed its three finalists . This week, the town hired a new public works director , William Cody, who starts next month.

Low will begin his role in Ellsworth on July 1. He thinks it “will be a nice break to be in a supporting role” instead of a leading one, he said. In Orono, he oversees 24 firefighters and three administrative staffers.

“My time here has been great,” Low said. “I work with incredible people not only in the fire department but across the town. They’re really dedicated, they’re problem solvers and they love the community that they work in.”

He became the town’s public safety director in late 2021 after its then-police chief stepped down. Knight said he was in that role for two years.

Low came to Orono after spending 24 years with the Auburn Fire Department, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported in 2018 .

Knight said the town will advertise the fire chief position, but he couldn’t provide a timeline for how quickly it hopes to fill it. It’s likely that the new town manager will make the hire, he said.

The fire department is also trying to fill vacancies for two firefighters.