Boothbay Region Ambulance Service (BRAS) said former EMS Chief Daniel Gardner no longer works for it as of July 1. 

BRAS President Robert Ham told the Register the issue is a human resources matter and, at the advice of their attorney, he would not discuss it. He confirmed it was a board decision that Gardner no longer works at BRAS, which, while supported with municipal funds, is an independent, self-governed organization. 

Gardner began the job in 2022.

July 2, he was arrested for violation of a protection from abuse (PFA) by Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). Ham confirmed BRAS’s decision was made before the arrest.  

In addition, concerns were raised at the Boothbay Harbor annual town meeting in May that a BRAS employee in a personal relationship with Gardner was being overworked, resulting in excessive overtime pay. At the time, Ham said the overtime was unfortunate but a result of the job and current market, and Gardner declined to comment on the relationship but told the Register, “what was presented was a completely false narrative.” 

According to Wiscasset district court documents, that employee requested a Protection from Abuse (PFA) order against Gardner May 28. She submitted a statement that alleged threats and verbal abuse and raised concerns about stalking and possessive behavior. She also completed a section saying the defendant has used a firearm in an intimidating, threatening, or abusive way. Court documents show Gardner relinquished five firearms to law enforcement as part of the later-enacted PFA.  

However, according to a statement from LCSO Deputy Jerold Winslow, Gardner’s former partner reported a firearm inside a shared storage unit the evening of July 2. She reported filling the padlock with adhesive to prevent access, but later saw evidence of tampering. The statement said Winslow and another officer met her at the unit, where she located a firearm, a small gun safe, and several rounds of ammunition, all of which she gave to the officers.  

Winslow reported he spoke to Gardner, who confirmed he knew about the firearm in the storage unit, but claimed he did not have access; Gardner told Winslow he unsuccessfully attempted to get in the unit to retrieve some items to sell. According to the report, Gardner said he “was not even thinking about the firearm,” and that it was the only one in the unit. It also said Gardner gave Winslow the combination to the gun safe, which he claimed was empty. The contents of the safe were not verified in the report. 

LCSO confirmed the PFA required Gardner to relinquish all firearms and prohibited him from possessing any firearms or dangerous weapons. Winslow reported he arrested Gardner for violating the PFA, a Class D offense, and transported him to Two Bridges Regional Jail without incident. The jail said he was released July 7 on bail. A hearing is set for Sept. 8 at Lincoln County Courthouse. 

 The Register reached out to Gardner, but messages and calls were unsuccessful. The contact may have been a disconnected work number. Gardner’s attorney, William Avantaggio, also declined to comment. "I don’t have any comments on that. I will deal with that in the law court, not in the court of public opinion,” he said.