RUMFORD – Barring further negotiations and last-minute compromises between selectmen and Med-Care Ambulance Service’s Board of Directors before Saturday, Rumford will seek ambulance coverage elsewhere.

That was the result of Wednesday afternoon’s 90-minute emergency selectmen’s meeting with Med-Care officials in the municipal building.

At one point, it looked like both sides would compromise.

If selectmen agreed to sign a second 10-year agreement for ambulance coverage by Mexico-based Med-Care, Med-Care directors would verbally consent to not assess Rumford $45,000 this year for its share of Med-Care’s ambulance building expansion project and place a six-month moratorium on the project.

But that quickly folded when Selectmen J. Arthur Boivin, Mark Belanger and Frank DiConzo refused to OK the compromise unless Med-Care’s board rescinded its September 2007 vote approving the ambulance building expansion project.

“What we would love to see is the town sign on to Med-Care and for Med-Care to rescind that building vote,” Town Manager Jim Doar said.

Belanger also wanted Med-Care to incorporate agreement amendments he provided into the agreement.

“The most important one is that the people get to vote on any large capital improvement projects,” Belanger said.

Steve Brown, president of Med-Care’s directors, said they agreed to meet Wednesday to work out a deal that followed resident Phillip Blampied’s amendment to the Med-Care contract article at Monday night’s town meeting.

A majority OK’d the amended article, which would make the contract “subject to conducting further negotiations with the specific intent of reducing the financial impact of a new facility.”

“To reduce the impact was not to do away with the building,” Brown said.

“Maybe it’s time for Plan B, to put an ambulance in the fire station to respond to emergencies,” Boivin said. “We need to look at different ways of doing things.”

“How much compromise can we achieve and still be fair to the other towns that already voted for the contract?” Dan Mitchell, a Dixfield representative, asked.

“We have no right to sign an amended agreement that the other towns have agreed to without amending,” Peru representative Jim Pulsifer added.

“If we sign the interlocal agreement and Med-Care is willing to discuss the building with all communities involved, then I would trust your word not to take any action on the building,” Buccina said.

“If they don’t kill the building, this town will never ever have the right to vote on it,” Belanger said.

“That’s right,” Pulsifer said.

“And that’s where the rub is,” Belanger shot back.

“Drop the building. I don’t like being held hostage like these people are doing. You are jeopardizing all of your employees by them losing their job. I won’t be held hostage if there are other ways of doing things,” Boivin said.

“You can’t go back and just change the past because you’re not agreeing with it. I’d like to see us bend a bit, I’d like to see Med-Care bend more, but I’m OK with Med-Care bending as it did. The ultimate consequence of this is Plan B, and Plan B is not a pretty option,” Buccina said.

Pulsifer and Cheryl Dickson, a Rumford Med-Care representative, said that legally, the board couldn’t rescind it, because eight other Med-Care member towns already OK’d the contract.

“Where has the Board of Selectmen moved in terms of compromise?” Pulsifer asked.

Buccina and Selectman Brad Adley said they would support the moratorium and sign the contract, but DiConzo, Belanger and Boivin held fast against it.

“I guess you’re not going to have an ambulance service then. The heck with them,” Dickson said and walked out as the meeting abruptly ended.

“We went beyond compromising. We lived up to what your townspeople voted, so the ball’s in your park. We’ve offered to work and address these problems,” Brown added.