Budget Review Committee approves WEMS operating budget and multiple CIP equipment requests

The Budget Review Committee on March 4 approved a $1,393,780 operations budget for the Wells Emergency Medical Service (WEMS) and advanced several capital-improvement requests for equipment and vehicles.

WEMS Assistant Director Adam Cavanagh told the committee that the operations increase reflects more employees moving from part-time to full-time — nine employees made that change — and the addition of a tenth full-time position as call volume has risen. WEMS Director Steven Merrill said the number of accounts sent to collections has increased and that benefits costs rose because of the staffing changes.

The committee approved the operations budget on a motion by Adam Cavanagh, seconded by David MacKenzie (vote: 7-0). Merrill also outlined CIP requests the committee recorded: a lease-financed ambulance replacement (to replace a 2013 vehicle) with a $100,000 spending authorization and no CIP addition; a service vehicle request that would apply a previously granted $10,000 donation from Harbor Master Mike Yorke, use $30,000 from the CIP fund and add $11,000 from taxation; and a technical-rescue coat request of about 17–18 coats with $20,000 added and $20,000 to be spent.

Merrill described a proposal to buy 3–4 video laryngoscopes and told the committee that the devices currently in use lack recording capability and have an approximate 57% success rate, while the proposed devices include recording capability and an approximate 99% success rate. The committee recorded a $20,000 CIP addition funded by taxation and $20,000 to be spent on the laryngoscopes.

All WEMS items on the agenda were advanced with recorded motions and votes. The committee’s action leaves specific procurement and financing details to staff as departments implement approved CIP and operating items.