LEWISTON – Councilors signed off on a labor deal with the firefighters’ union Tuesday and saved talk about creating a city-based emergency medical service for a future day.

The deal gives firefighters a 5.25 percent raise over the next two years, allows them to retire after 25 years on the job and increases their insurance co-pays by $5 per week.

The contract also lets the city begin talks to create a EMS system through the fire department.

“If the council and the public decide to move forward, this spells out how we would do it,” Bennett said. “This contract allows us to have that discussion later on.”

According to the contract, the city would provide annual stipends to employees who maintain an EMS license for a year – from $100 for a basic EMT license up to $600 for a paramedic.

The city would be able to hire three EMS officers with one assigned to each fire platoon. Those officers would be paid about the same as fire lieutenant, about $19 per hour starting wages, and be required to have a paramedic license.

“This contract spells out in detail how much providing this service would cost,” Bennett said. “Now we can begin to look at what that might mean for the city.”

Bennett began discussing the idea EMS services last December. He estimated an additional $1 million in revenue for the city each year from emergency calls for transportation.

United Ambulance Service, a private company, provides EMS and ambulance services for Lewiston now.


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