Lincoln leaders to hear East Millinocket's $90K ambulance proposal

By Nick Sambides Jr., Bangor Daily News, Maine

Feb. 11--EAST MILLINOCKET, Maine -- Town leaders will present their plan for extending their ambulance service into Lincoln to the Lincoln Town Council in Lincoln at 6 p.m. Monday, officials said.

The East Millinocket Board of Selectmen will discuss the budget of the town's Fire Department, which so far does not include the Lincoln proposal, at a meeting at the East Millinocket town office 4 p.m.-5:15 p.m., board Chairman Clint Linscott said.

Linscott said he and some other selectmen will then attend Lincoln's meeting to hear East Millinocket Fire Chief Les Brown's presentation.

"We have given it to Les and when he has all his final stuff together, that's when we [selectmen] will review it," Linscott said Monday. "He has proven successful so we have allowed him to [do] what he needs to do."

Penobscot Valley Hospital CEO David Shannon has said that the Lincoln hospital is considering leaving the ambulance business because of a lack of profit. It handles most of the emergency and patient transfer calls in the Lincoln Lakes region, he has said.

Under Brown's proposal, East Millinocket Fire Department workers would partner with Lincoln to replace PVH's service. East Millinocket would carry all expenses and oversee the program, Lincoln interim Town Manager William Lawrence has said.

Brown requests space for two ambulances at the Lincoln Public Safety building. Lincoln firefighters would drive the ambulance for in-town emergencies and transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket would pay the overtime expenses to call in a Lincoln firefighter to cover for the on-staff engineer during ambulance calls or emergencies, Lawrence said.

Lincoln expects to make $90,000 in revenue annually based upon an estimated 1,200 emergencies and patient transports, Lawrence said. East Millinocket also would handle service billing, paramedic or EMT ambulance staffing and payroll.

Brown has declined to discuss how much East Millinocket's revenue would increase under the proposal, deferring comment on the matter to Monday night. Linscott has said he is unaware of the particulars of Brown's plan.

Under Brown's leadership, East Millinocket's service has grown from one to six ambulances serving northern Penobscot County.

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