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Wolfeboro moves forward on ambulance service: used ambulance bought, deputy chief recruitment underway
Summary
Fire Chief Tom Zotti updated the Select Board May 21 on recruitment and equipment steps toward town-operated ambulance transport: a used Type I ambulance has been purchased, deputy chief hiring is in process, and training and policy steps remain before transport service begins.
The Wolfeboro Select Board received a detailed update on May 21 from Fire Chief Tom Zotti on the town’s planned ambulance transport service, including staff recruitment, training and vehicle purchases.
Chief Zotti said the town has secured a used 2020 Chevy Silverado Type I ambulance—about 85,000 miles—through a dealer the town has worked with, and the vehicle is being lettered and readied in Auburn, New Hampshire. The department expects delivery by the end of the following week. The ambulance was purchased after an in-person review by town staff and vendor representatives.
On staffing, Zotti said the posting for a deputy chief of EMS closed with multiple applicants; an oral board and extended assessments are complete and the department expects to recommend a candidate imminently. The deputy chief will be a paramedic-level position and will be central to clinical oversight, including handling controlled drugs; the town must finalize a controlled‑substance agreement before applying to the state to upgrade the agency to a transport license. Fire department leaders said the deputy’s selection is about three weeks to a month behind the original schedule but that candidate interviews and assessments continue.
Chief Zotti also reported the department ran an assessment center for firefighter–EMT hires; staffing for several new firefighter EMT positions remains on track for July. Several current staff members were accepted into an accelerated paramedic program starting in August at Lakes Region Community College, and the department is arranging an Advanced EMT class to run locally beginning around Labor Day to train incoming staff.
On vehicles and equipment, the town is planning to purchase a second response vehicle (a crew cab pickup, under consideration as an F-250 or similar) to serve as CAR 2 for the deputy chief and to tow trailers and transport equipment. The Select Board discussed vehicle type and public perception; town management and the chief said they will present specific options and price comparisons to the board before final purchase.
Zotti said the town is working with Huggins Hospital on training and a revised medical resource agreement that supports paramedic-level transports. He told the board billing and collections policies will be an early project for the incoming deputy chief; the town expects discussion and a recommendation on billing practices in the August time frame. The department does not anticipate ambulance revenue until 2027.
The board asked the chief and town manager to return with a timeline and concrete milestones—recruitment, policy and billing choices, licensing steps—so the board can track progress toward launch of transport operations.
