By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

PARIS – Talk of switching ambulance service providers in Oxford County’s unorganized territories has caused concern among some rescue workers, as one woman made clear at a county commissioners meeting Tuesday.

Donna Glover of Wilson’s Mills Fire and Rescue, which operates out of Lincoln Plantation, told the Oxford County commissioners that NorthStar Emergency Medical Services is the only way to go because of it is nearby in Rangeley.

“I think people are going to be angry with this,” she said of the commissioners’ decision to request a bid from Med-Care Ambulance of Mexico. Glover said patients would have to wait much longer as the second company’s ambulances negotiated a long trek to reach her area.

“I know that you have a money problem, but this isn’t the way to fix it,” she said, detailing the frequent need to aid hikers, fishermen, campers, and even snowmobilers in the remote reaches of an area that goes as far as the Canadian border.

The commissioners decided to consider switching ambulance companies after NorthStar requested $11,204 for services in the 2005-2006 fiscal year. The budget represents a $6,226 hike in costs for the county, which paid $4,938 for services in the unorganized territories in the 2004-2005 budget.

Commissioner David Duguay said Med-Care Ambulance would provide the county with a bid. In a letter dated June 8, Director of Operations Dean Milligan wrote a letter to the county stating that his company could provide services to Andover West Surplus, Andover North Surplus, Surplus C, Township C, Milton Township, Riley Township, Grafton, Richardson Township, Adamstown Township, Lower Cupsuptic, Parkertown Township, Lynchtown Township, Upper Cupsuptic, Oxbow, Parmachenee and Bowmantown for $7,500 this fiscal year. An additional, one-time fee of $4,000 would be charged to pay for global positioning system units to be installed in each of the company’s ambulances to help provide service in those areas.

Ambulance Board of Directors President Steve Brown was at the commissioners’ meeting Tuesday. He said he thought the company could provide services that were equal to or better than those provided by NorthStar.

“I think response time, obviously, in a remote area it’s a critical thing,” Brown added. He later said the concerns of Glover and others were valid and should be looked at before a service provider is chosen.

Commission Chairman Steve Merrill said the board would take the next month to consider the proposals from each ambulance company.