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Fire and EMS: town plans new tanker and ambulance; ambulance enterprise projects roughly $550,000 in revenue
Summary
Fire Chief described apparatus purchases in process (tanker and ambulance), mutual-aid reliance and budget pressures; EMS director projected roughly $550,000 in ambulance receipts for the year and said enterprise funds should cover vehicle and equipment needs if managed carefully.
Templeton Fire and EMS leaders told the Select Board and Advisory Committee on March 2 that capital procurement and ambulance enterprise finances are a central part of the town's FY2026 planning.
Apparatus and capital: Fire Chief reported a tanker unit has been ordered (chassis in the queue) and the department is finalizing ambulance procurement; supply-chain delays mean lead times can stretch to 18 months or longer. The chief said the older tanker will be traded in and that an older forestry truck is being prepared for auction. He warned that repairs on older apparatus and intermittent out-of-service time can stress operations.
Ambulance enterprise and revenue: The ambulance/EMS enterprise fund is projected to collect roughly $550,000 for the current fiscal year, the chief said. That revenue supports operational staffing and equipment; the chief said agreement and service contracts (for monitors, maintenance and software) add necessary recurring expenses but also reduce catastrophic replacement costs by covering equipment repair under contract.
Mutual aid, billing and regional arrangements: Chiefs explained regional mutual aid and contractual arrangements with area ambulance providers. If outside ambulances transport a patient for Templeton (for example when Templeton resources are unavailable), the outside provider typically bills and retains transport revenue; if Templeton provides a paramedic to another agency's ambulance, the towns have negotiated offsets. The chiefs said written agreements govern these arrangements and that the billing system and Medicare/Medicaid rules (CMS) drive much of the outcome on reimbursement.
Budget pressures and next steps: Chiefs requested careful stewardship of supplies and asked that the board consider how enterprise receipts can be used for capital replacement and maintenance. The department has set aside or sought free-cash appropriations to cover early-year lease payments for a tanker and is working to align payments and procurements with fiscal timing.
Direct quote: "We are the closest emergency services to them," the fire chief said when discussing calls to a nearby facility and how mutual aid and billing interplay.
