WALDOBORO — Veteran paramedic Jim Eaton has announced his candidacy for State House District 45, which includes Bremen, Friendship, Louds Island, Waldoboro and Washington.

“I have responded to over 5,000 ambulance calls across Lincoln, Knox, and Kennebec counties,” said Eaton, in a news release. “When we are sent out, there’s never any question to whether someone is a Democrat or a Republican. Waldoboro had been a home and a community to me and my family since 1977 and helping your community is important to me.” 

Since he joined Waldoboro Emergency Medical Services in 1980, Eaton has worked as an ambulance attendant, an emergency medical technician, and a paramedic. Eaton has also worked for Delta Ambulance in Augusta and Windsor Ambulance.

“Since I started, there are always things that will never leave my memory – some of the events are sad, some are funny but all have impacted me, especially the delivery of a baby,” he said.

In 2022, the Maine State Legislature voted to invest $31 million to sustain rural EMS services that are at risk of closing down. That bill narrowly passed along partisan lines.

“While it is encouraging to see Augusta take steps to seriously  fund essential services like firefighters and EMS, there are a lot of solutions that are not being presented,” said Eaton. “It is absolutely necessary for the state legislature to have the perspective of career first responders.

“When I started we were essentially volunteers.  As requirements and training increased it became harder to find volunteers. That’s why I stepped up to run. The $31 million is going to keep 9-1-1 working for a lot of communities who were at risk of waiting for over 30 minutes for a fire truck or an ambulance to respond to get to your home. It is a shame that politicians have turned funding first responders into a political football.”

Eaton holds a Ph.D. in chemistry and is retired from the Maine Health Lab where he worked as a chemist in the state environmental lab. Following 9/11, he began to work on a team through the federal CDC to develop Maine’s capacity to respond to exposures from a chemical terrorism incident. Prior to working for the State, Eaton was a manager and a chemist for Ball & Socket Plastics at the Button factory in Waldoboro. 

Additionally, Eaton served his community for 12 years on the RSU 40 Board of Directors for students in Friendship, Union, Waldoboro, Warren and Washington. During his tenure, five new schools were built in the district, including bringing community gymnasiums to both Friendship and Washington

Eaton and his wife, Dr. Emily Trask-Eaton, live in Waldoboro on Duckpuddle Road. They have two daughters and two grandchildren. 

“Waldoboro, Bremen, Friendship and Washington are a unique corner of the state. People who live here are hard-working and proud,” he said. “They know what it’s like to put in a solid day’s work to earn a livable wage. Since I moved to Waldoboro I have met a lot of good people. I hope to meet many more in the days ahead.”