RUMFORD – Town Manager Jim Doar said he plans to call a special meeting in September to begin working on a plan of action to address life and safety issues and violations at some of the 243 multiunit apartment houses in town.

The Rumford Fire Department and code enforcement officer have been inspecting the buildings as they have had time.

Woulfe said inspections conducted so far show that few have been updated to meet safety codes. Among more frequent violations is a lack of second exits. Most of the multiunit apartment buildings were built in the 1930s.

Jennifer Stowell Norris, representing landlord Ernie Robichaud and others, said she supported Woulfe’s efforts and has been working toward having a public forum on the matter held.

Doar said that hearing, to include Woulfe, a representative from the Office of the State Fire Marshal, selectmen and landlords, will likely be held in September, as well.

He said he is studying similar housing update policies from Berlin, N.H., and Lewiston that address older apartment buildings that don’t meet code.

Doar said he also plans to contact Mexico Town Manager John Madigan to try to begin renewed talks on regionalizing some municipal services with the neighboring town.

That decision was spurred by a presentation by Dean Milligan, director of Med-Care Ambulance Services, who with Steve Brown, the ambulance service’s board chairman, spoke about plans to build a new building.

“This is the right time for talking about regionalization as it affects public safety. Med-Care is a good model. We need to move soon because of the Med-Care timeline,” Doar said Friday morning.

Med-Care has been planning to construct a new building because it has outgrown its facility in Mexico, Milligan said.

He has not identified where the building will be constructed but said he expects more solid plans to be announced later in the month.

Med-Care is owned by the 11 communities it serves. Rumford pays the most at about $78,000 a year. When the building is constructed, Rumford will also likely be paying the largest share.

Of the entire $1.5 million annual budget, member towns pay only about 14 percent in subsidies. The rest is paid by insurance and private pay.

Doar said a meeting or selectmen’s workshop on the matter will likely be held after the Fire Department issue is resolved.