CARIBOU, Maine — Caribou City Council unanimously approved templates for fire and ambulance contracts with outside towns and agreed to allow the city manager and fire chief to approve and finalize agreements with these municipalities.
The new contracts will increase the current rates of surrounding towns from $11.50 per capita for ambulance services to $100 per capita. For both fire and ambulance coverage, towns would pay $125 per capita. Outside towns were initially given just over one month to make a decision, but the deadline has since been extended to March 31.
The new proposal has been a hotly debated issue amongst not only those in the serviced towns, but also Caribou residents. Those in favor of the agreement see it as the only way the city can continue to sustain the department, with shrinking revenues from state and federal insurance causing ambulance services across the state and country to shut down.
Those critical of the agreement say the price is too high, even when considering the average annual number of calls to outside towns. Many have also questioned the city council’s decision to discuss the agreement in executive session.
During a Nov. 25 meeting, Caribou Fire and Ambulance Chief Scott Susi suggested a 2 percent increase in EMS rates, plus new non-transport fees, which would bring in an estimated $10,000 of additional revenue from the contracted communities. Since the contracts were discussed in executive session, opponents of the agreement are questioning what factors led the city council to propose a significantly higher rate just one month later.
Susi, along with City Manager Dennis Marker, have since hosted presentations in the affected communities, explaining that fire and ambulance service costs roughly $2.7 million to operate. And while neighboring towns have been paying $11.50 per capita, Caribou residents had been paying approximately $180 per capita for emergency medical services.
Leading up to the March 31 deadline, officials from serviced towns plan to come together with the hope of negotiating the agreement with Caribou.
Marker, during a Feb. 24 city council meeting, explained that Limestone and Caswell have agreed to move forward with the EMS contract of $100 per person. He said money from these two towns alone will bring in an additional $230,000 in revenue, which covers Caribou’s standby ambulance fee.
The two aforementioned towns are new to Caribou’s service area, as Crown Ambulance — their former EMS provider — recently discontinued their operation.
Councilor Doug Morrell asked if the addition of new towns would require the city to purchase any new assets or hire additional staff.
“I just want to make sure we’re not getting pigeonholed and have to start buying more ambulances and hiring more people,” he said, clarifying that he wants to ensure the department’s current staffing and equipment are able to handle the additional towns without any expense increases.
Marker said this would be the case and Mayor Mark Goughan was also receptive to the idea.
The motion, which was accepted by the six councilors present, approved the wording of each of the contracts and also gives both Marker and Susi authority to sign up surrounding towns without the council needing to approve each individual contract.
“If there are other times, after you’ve reached the threshold of manpower and assets and we have other towns that want to sign up with the city of Caribou, please bring it to us for discussion and we will consider that part of the deal,” said Goughan.
