FORT KENT, Maine – Aroostook County commissioners unanimously approved nine dispatch contract agreements with communities and organizations throughout the region during a Feb. 21 meeting. All contracts increased by five percent, according to Sheriff Peter Johnson.
All of the approved contracts were renewed from last year. No new communities or organizations were added.
As part of these agreements, calls made to these towns and organizations will go to the sheriff office’s dispatch center, based in Houlton. For fire calls, dispatchers will activate the town or organization’s fire paging system to communicate the location of the fire.
The two organizations involved are Central Aroostook Ambulance Service — which provides EMS services for Bridgewater, Blaine, Mars Hill and some unorganized townships in the area — and Southern Aroostook Emergency Medical Services, which provides services to 10 communities in the Houlton area.
Commissioners approved a $2,551.35 annual ambulance dispatching contract for Central Aroostook Ambulance Service, and a $29,291.22 contract for Southern Aroostook Emergency Medical Services.
For individual communities, commissioners approved a $1,424.71 fire dispatching contract in Bridgewater, a $2,538.80 fire contract in Frenchville, a $1,090.73 fire contract in Grand Isle, a $3,487.04 fire contract in Mars Hill, and a $1,303.49 fire contract in Sinclair. They approved a $12,915 police dispatch contract in Limestone, and a $15,305.55 fire and ambulance contract with Van Buren.
Johnson said the amount of the contract with Van Buren changed because it previously was based on dispatching fire, ambulance, and police. Van Buren recently disbanded its police department, resulting in a cost reduction.
The contracts also need to be approved by the legislative body, such as a council or select board, of each community.
Johnson and County Administrator Ryan Pelletier said during the meeting that the costs were determined on a per capita basis.
“It’s per capita based on the service they choose,” Pelletier said. “If it’s ambulance or fire, it’s a lower per capita cost than police.”
