Tim “TD” Hardy of Farmington has been a firefighters since he was 18. He is now 45 and has been Farmington Fire Rescue chief since July 2022. Submitted photo

Tim “TD” Hardy grew up around the fire service, became interested in being a firefighter at a young age, and worked his way up the ranks to become the full-time fire rescue chief for the town of Farmington in July 2022. “I have been with the Farmington Fire Department for 27 years,” Hardy said recently.

He is also the fire chief of the Industry Fire Department. The 45-year-old can often be heard directing firefighters on the police scanner.

Hardy grew up in Farmington and graduated from Mt. Blue High School. He and his wife, Bett, have two sons, Jackson and Ben.

They live in Farmington and also own Hardy’s Lawn Care and Snowplowing business. In addition, Hardy works as a state fire instructor for the Maine Fire Service Institute.

Tim “TD” Hardy

How did you get involved in the fire service?  My dad has been active in the fire service my whole life. Growing up around the fire service I became very interested as a kid and joined the fire department when I turned 18 in 1997.

Is it something you truly enjoy and why?  I do truly enjoy the fire service. The work and equipment are very fascinating to me. Responding to all the various types of emergencies that we respond to and handle. The ability to help people with their emergencies is very fulfilling. I also enjoy the training side of the fire service; there is always something new to learn. The learning never stops.

Were you also an emergency medical responder at one time? Yes, I am a licensed EMT-Basic and previously worked in emergency medical services.

Do you find the fire service and emergency medical professions closely linked? Yes, a lot of fire departments provide emergency medical services. There are a lot of calls that the fire departments and emergency medical service agencies work together on to help the citizens.

What is the best part of being a firefighter? The best part is the helping the citizens that need us for whatever their emergency might be. Having the equipment and ability to mitigate these situations, whether it be a fire, rescue or other type of incident we respond to. The other great part of this job is the teamwork and ability to work with so many great people in the fire service and other emergency service professions.

What is the worst part? The worst part of the job is seeing the loss that people go through on the incidents we go to. Unfortunately, a lot of the incidents we respond to involve people getting injuries or loss of life and property, which takes its toll on the emergency responders who handle these incidents.