RUMFORD – Tentative plans to appoint police Chief Stacy Carter as administrative head of the Fire Department for one year were scuttled Thursday night when selectmen decided to look into other ways to fill the position vacated by fire Chief John Woulfe.

Town Manager Jim Doar said the idea was one that he believed could lead the town toward the eventual regionalization of public safety services. And that is still his plan as well as that of some selectmen from Rumford and at least two other nearby towns.

But the board decided to check into the possibility of hiring Mexico fire Chief Gary Wentzell part time, as well as looking in-house for a potential full-time candidate.

In the estimated one-year interim, longtime Deputy Chief Richard Coulombe was appointed to take over the leadership of the Rumford Fire Department.

Doar said Friday that he isn’t sure of the legality of considering hiring Wentzell without first advertising for the position. He said he plans to contact the Maine Municipal Association to learn whether someone from outside the department can be hired without first advertising.

“We have an interim chief now whom I feel very comfortable with. We’ll take it slow as far as the next step in filling the position,” Doar said.

He had thought that appointing Carter as chief of both the police and fire departments would be a first step in the establishment of an area public safety director.

Several selectmen Thursday said they believed placing the Mexico fire chief in the Rumford fire chief’s position would be a step toward regionalizing.

Creating a regional position of public safety director eventually is still a goal of many.

Doar said the planned appointment of several local people to a regional planning commission, expected sometime later this month, could lead to a committee set up to work toward combining police, fire and emergency services.

“We have a year to figure out how to merge public safety,” he said.