Select Board reviews temporary ambulance contracts for Warren and Wentworth at $1,500 per call

Town staff presented ambulance-service agreements for Warren and Wentworth covering the period from July 15, 2025, through March 31, 2026, at a rate of $1,500 per call, the Select Board was told at a recent meeting.

Ted (Select Board member / read town manager report) said the higher per-call cost reflected greater distances, fuel and backfill costs after Warren and Wentworth Ambulance ceased operations. Town staff told the board the agreements match the format used with other contracted towns except for the higher per-call fee and that the contracts would be re-evaluated at the end of the term.

Town staff indicated the ambulance-service contracts are in the signature file and requested the Select Board members’ signatures so the vendors can proceed. The contracts were described as a short-term arrangement intended to continue ambulance coverage while the town seeks longer-term solutions or negotiations with other providers.

At the meeting the board did not take a separate roll-call vote on the contracts during the public portion of the agenda; staff requested signatures and said they expected further contracts and re-evaluation in 2026. No new budget appropriation was presented at the meeting; staff characterized the cost as part of operational expenditures covered within existing budget lines and noted the town will reevaluate costs at the contract’s end.

The Select Board asked staff to ensure contract execution paperwork is complete and to report back about any follow-up negotiations or budget impacts before the March 31, 2026 contract expiration.