RUMFORD — To protect employees from COVID-19, the Town Hall has closed its doors to the public in favor of a drop-box system to conduct business until at least the week of March 30.

Selectmen voted unanimously Monday night to take that action in an emergency meeting with department heads.

The board also approved a recommendation from Fire Chief Chris Reed to terminate the department’s EMS services during this pandemic to prevent firefighter exposure to the coronavirus. The exceptions will be calls involving trauma and immediate life-threatening incidents. The practice will continue until further notice.

“It really comes down to guidelines and protocol that the CDC would like to see in order to stop the spread of COVID-19, and that’s by social distancing,” Town Manager Stacy Carter said.

Further, following a conversation with Rumford’s health officer, David Saphier, regarding CDC guidelines, Carter announced the library and the rec center will be closed until the week of March 30.

“As a town and service provider, we have to think about our employees, the citizens coming into the building and doing business here, and the first responders,” he said. “It will only take a single exposure to immediately and aggressively affect our response.”

Residents will no longer be going to the counter to do transactions in the Town Hall.

“We’re effectively closing the office doors but providing directions for citizens, either by signs if they come here, by media, by social networking, the directions for them to take care of their transactions online or by filling out paper applications, putting them in a drop box,” Carter said.

He said the employees will still be working, but behind closed doors, limiting that exposure, and completing those transactions.

The forms and applications are available in the lobby of the Town Hall.

Most transactions are also available online at rumfordme.org and go to the “How do I” tab. To speak with town staff, dial 364-4576.

Regarding the Fire Department’s EMS calls, Selectman Peter Chase asked if they could suspend EMS calls altogether.

“I’d hate to do for the citizens of the town of Rumford, but it’s not like we’re the only game in town because Med-Care is coming,” Chase said. “Med-Care is there. We are the only game in town when it comes to fire protection.”

“That’s true,” Carter said, “but we’re talking about things that are not COVID-19 related, such as heart attack, overdose, those crucial minutes save lives. I don’t think we should stop all EMS. I think we should go to those serious ones.”

Chase, a former firefighter, said he understands that. “However, those seconds are also very precious when somebody’s house is on fire, and if we haven’t got anyone left to respond . . .”

Reed noted people haven’t seen seen the (coronavirus) peak.

“If it does get crazy, and Med-Care requests us to go, we’re obligated by law to go,” he said.

“You’re weighing the risk,” Selectman John Pepin said. “You’re mitigating the risk. And this is just one way to do it.”

Chase said, “We’re trying to eliminate our firefighters’ exposure, so we have firefighters when we need firefighters.”

Board Chairman Chris Brennick asked about the status of the District Court in the Town Hall.

Carter said the court is now more limited. They’re not taking criminal or civil trials, but they have hearings for initial arraignments, for protective orders, for some family matters.

Police Chief Tony Milligan said he received a notice from the District Attorney’s Office to expect that they will be seeing or processing prisoners through the courts on a daily basis as opposed to Tuesdays, Thursdays.

“They want to get them in and get them out as soon as possible, as opposed to holding them in jail until the next court date.”

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