13 months ago
SOUTH PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- The South Portland Fire Department and the Goodwins Mills fire department are mourning one of their own. 40-year old Debra Cole, a 7-year veteran of the department in South Portland and Goodwins Mills, suffered a stroke while on duty at the Western Avenue Station in South Portland Wednesday morning. Chief Kevin Guimond said Cole had gone to a call around 2:30 a.m. for a fire alarm going off, and then went back to bed. Other firefighters heard noise coming from the bathroom sometime after 6 a.m., and discovered she had suffered a stroke. Chief Guimond said, "Debra strikes me as one of the toughest employees I've ever had. She was all business. She was very good at what she did. The biggest compliment you can give a firefighter or paramedic is would you want her treating my family, and the answer is absolutely yes." Cole leaves behind two daughters, ages 16 and 21. Her funeral is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 11 o'clock at the New Life Church on Alfred road.
