Woolwich selectmen will meet with emergency medical service personnel in mid-January to discuss wage increases in the town's EMS department. Historically, non-licensed drivers there have been given the same rate of pay as licensed paramedics when called out for an emergency. 

The issue arose when the EMS department was compiling payroll for the end of the year and discovered they would not be able to request more than $10 per hour for each EMT. According to Greg Seigel, who serves on the Woolwich EMS team, all members have historically received $10 per hour whenever they go out on call.

Woolwich EMS Chief Dana Lindsey would like to see this change. Other nearby towns pay those on the ambulance crew based on license level. 

Like these other towns, the Woolwich department has a limited budget and Lindsey has to make sure any changes to pay do not exceed what they have available to spend. Regardless, he and others on the department want to compensate personnel based on experience and license level. 

“We've done well with the budget,” Seigel said. “Dana has been very frugal.”  

Members of the Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, a licensed 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, are paid according to license level. EMS Chief Scott Lash said their rate, which falls on a range between $10 and $15 per hour, is much lower in comparison to departments that serve similar communities in the state.

Lash said his department has also been very frugal. He said in the time he has been with the ambulance service they haven't exceeded their available funds. However, future demands for services could change, requiring them to make changes to keep within their budget.

“There are a lot of variables,” he said. Calls for his department may increase, depending on how medical services change on the peninsula next fall. More people may need to be transported to Damariscotta for treatment, people may opt to drive themselves or treatment at the St. Andrews facility may be enough such that they will not need to be transported to Damariscotta. 

Other department budgets are easier to predict from year to year. Wiscasset Ambulance Service, which is a municipal department, sets a budget based on previous year call numbers. They also have a pay scale similar to the one Woolwich EMS seeks. 

The department's EMS Chief Roland Abbott said all but four of the 33 members of his team are licensed EMTs. The four drivers on hand, however, have been through specialized driver training and have passed a certified CPR course. 

Wiscasset EMS personnel are paid as follows: drivers are paid $10 per hour; those with basic training receive $11 per hour; intermediate-level members get $12 per hour; and paramedics are paid $13 per hour. 

All personnel who serve on stand-by time, monitoring activity at the station, are paid $3 per hour.

The proposed pay scale for Woolwich EMS would reflect different levels of experience: driver (non-EMS licensed) $10 per hour; EMT basic $11 per hour; EMT intermediate $12 per hour; and EMT paramedic $13 per hour. 

Lindsey said a revised pay scale could be an incentive for increased participation among those who currently serve on the department, as well as for those who wish to join. 

The Woolwich EMS team will meet in a workshop session with selectmen at 5 p.m., January 22 to discuss the possibilities.