New Ambulance Purchase Public Informaiton Session

The South Thomaston Select Board would like to discuss the current condition of our municipally owned ambulance and the potential of purchasing a new ambulance ahead of our projected schedule. All are welcome at the Public Information Session where this topic will be discussed in detail. The session will take place on September 9th at 6:30 pm in the Town Office Community Room.

Please see the memo below for more information. Also please note that this is an Information Session not a Meeting, as such no official action will be taken by the Board this night. 

To: Citizens of South Thomaston

Fr: The Selectboard

Date: August 24, 2019

Subj: Status of the Town’s Ambulance

This year our ambulance has experienced multiple failures and higher than budgeted repair costs. The repairs have been ineffective at restoring the ambulance to safe, reliable service. On Friday, August 16, the ambulance experienced a complete shutdown while en route to a call, creating a safety issue for the crew. The call was picked up by one of our Mutual Aid Partners. To date, three service organizations have failed to correctly diagnose and correct the problems with the vehicle. One thing we know is that this type and generation of Ford diesel vehicle has been discontinued by Ford, due in part to more frequent than expected repairs and lower than expected useful, effective service life. Our vehicle has been in service for nine years, and the plan has been to request Town Meeting approval for the purchase of a replacement at the 2020 or, at the latest, the 2021 Town Meeting.

At a meeting between the Selectboard and the Ambulance Director on August 21, the Board voted to hold a Special Town Meeting and seek Town approval for a replacement on an accelerated basis with a high sense of urgency.

We ask that citizens attend a Public Information Meeting in the Town Office at 6:30PM on September 9^th, 2019 to review the situation and the options before us. A Special Town Meeting will be called within a month after the Information Session.

You can certainly contact any Selectboard Member to discuss this high priority issue but we encourage as many residents as possible to attend the meeting on September 9th.

Thanks & Regards,

Walter Reitz, Chair, Selectboard

Cheryl Waterman, Member

Jan Gaudio, Member