Woolwich voters will have a second chance to hear ambulance service proposals at an informational meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, in the cafeteria of Woolwich Central School on Nequasset Road.

EMS Director Brian Carlton and Fire Chief Mike Demers will explain options for providing 24/7 ambulance coverage by expanding the town’s EMS department, or contracting with Bath Fire & Rescue for the service. Bath Fire Chief Lawrence Renaud has been invited to attend.

On Monday afternoon, the select board drafted several articles for voters to consider at the annual town meeting Saturday, May 4. One includes borrowing up to $150,000 for a new ambulance if voters decide to expand the ambulance department.

Chair David King Sr. told the Wiscasset Newspaper amounts in the articles are based on the figures from Carlton and Demers. Neither was able to attend Monday’s meeting at the town office. That evening, Woolwich fire and EMS were hosting a regional training session with the State Fire Marshal for area first responders.

“The amounts shown in the articles are what the select board is comfortable putting on the warrant,” explained King. “The important thing is making people aware of these options and having a large turnout of voters at the town meeting where they can be discussed at length and decided on.”

King said the first article is a two-part question. It asks voters if they want to raise and appropriate $177,799 to expand the town’s EMS department to provide 24/7 ambulance coverage. Doing so, the article notes, will generate an estimated $72,000 in EMS revenues annually to offset the cost to expand.

Should the first part of the article pass, voters are then asked to borrow funds needed to finance and buy a new, second ambulance needed for the department to provide town-wide 24/7 coverage.

“If voters approve the article expanding our own EMS, they’ll need to pass the second part authorizing the purchase of the ambulance,” Demers said told the Wiscasset Newspaper Tuesday morning.

A separate article for consideration would raise and appropriate the sum of $99,145, authorizing the select board to enter into a three-year contract with the City of Bath Fire & Rescue to provide ambulance services. The article states the cost breakdown is based on 251 ambulance calls per year at $395 per call.

A subsection of this same article asks voters to authorize the select board to take up to $15,000 from the town’s undesignated fund balance to cover any unanticipated EMS costs.

King and board members Dale Chadbourne and Jason Shaw met with Bath officials to discuss the proposed EMS contract Wednesday morning, March 6. The meeting, announced in advance, was held at Bath City Hall in executive session.

Demers said if voters choose to contract with Bath, they’ll still be asked to fund Woolwich’s EMS department. This arrangement would be similar to the current contract the town has with North East Mobile Health Services, he explained. That one expires in June and is not being renewed.

A subsequent article would fund Woolwich’s EMS as a part-time department although it increases the amount from the $48,500 raised last year to $54,250 for fiscal 2019-2020.

“If voters choose to contract with Bath, we’d be responsible for any uncollectables (patients transported without insurance),” continued Demers who added he and Carlton believe expanding Woolwich’s own EMS service is the most cost-effective option.