The New Gloucester Select Board debated whether to outsource the town’s ambulance services on Feb. 3, a proposition that has drawn considerable backlash from residents.

According to Select Board Chair Dustin Ward, the idea came from a previous conversation about the fate of A-1, the town’s former ambulance which the townsfolk voted to decommission at the 2024 town meeting. Ward said that he and Select Board Vice Chair Stephen J. Hathorne wanted to explore other options for ambulance use, such as contracting for 24/7 coverage with Gray or United Ambulance Services, a Lewiston-based organization serving multiple Androscoggin County towns. New Gloucester had previously worked with United prior to establishing its own ambulance service in 2013.

The idea of partnering with United in particular has drawn ire from much of the town, particularly members of the town staff and Fire-Rescue Department, who assume that this would result in a staff reduction. Another issue revolved around how, due to United increasing its costs year after year, it may end up being too expensive to serve as a viable option for New Gloucester in the long term. Hathorne said that, should the ambulance issue be discussed at a town meeting, the contracting question would definitely come up, and he would do his due diligence to find out what is and isn’t available so that he could defend the Fire-Rescue Department at the meeting.

A representative of the Fire-Rescue Department said that contracting with United meant that New Gloucester would get a bid on an ambulance not dedicated to the town with no cost savings. In particular, he was concerned with United’s staffing policies, noting that, should New Gloucester partner with them, they would staff with only two people. He noted that calls such as lifting objects off of people and doing CPR require more than two people, and difficult medical calls may take two or three providers and a driver.

Board member Tammy Donovan recalled discussing the cost for United six years ago, and decided it wasn’t comparable to the kind of service that they’d get from the provider. Donovan, who said that she would vote against outsourcing the ambulance service, said that it would undermine both the growth that New Gloucester has undergone since establishing its own ambulance service and the vote of the people to have their own service.

“We talk about economically growing and building in New Gloucester, and you can’t do that unless you have services,” said Donovan.

While Hathorne said that he had no doubt that local EMTs would be better for New Gloucester in the long run, all options must be explored, and that an independent source was needed to identify information about the cost of the plan. Select Board member Peter Bragdon, a former employee of United, said that New Gloucester should expand its search to other towns such as North Yarmouth.

The board decided to direct Town Manager Bill Kerbin to take the lead on giving a soft number for United service if it were to contract with them, which would then be discussed at a town meeting.

However, a motion to task Kerbin with taking up the issue was defeated by a margin of 3-2, and no action was ultimately taken at the meeting.

Speaking with the Lakes Region Weekly, Kerbin said the board decided against looking into contracting with United or the town of Gray for ambulance services for now, and instead New Gloucester would continue providing EMS services in-house.