LISBON — The Town Council voted again Tuesday to put off awarding Lisbon’s emergency medical services contract following nearly two hours of discussion.

The vote is planned for their next meeting on May 16. Chairman Harry Moore said the time would allow the council and public safety committee to consider the new information provided in the discussion.

During the workshop, United Ambulance Operations Manager Dennis Russell and Lisbon Emergency Deputy Chief Amy McDonnell each presented their organization’s contract bid to the council. Afterward, councilors asked the representatives questions about their coverage.

Police Chief Ryan McGee and Fire Chief Nathan LeClair both urged the council to approve Lisbon Emergency’s bid, a reversal from their initial review.

McGee and LeClair told the council they strove to score the bids objectively and without personal bias. Both awarded a higher score to United’s contract proposal. However, when considering additional information not included in the bids, both said they felt Lisbon Emergency would be the town’s best option.

McGee said he has spoken with a number of EMS, fire and police personnel in the area.

“Currently, I am told Auburn Fire/Rescue is constantly handling calls for United and Lisbon emergency is also covering calls for United due to them not being able to handle the call volume,” he said. “These are all issues that raise concern to me since reviewing the bids, as I do not want Lisbon residents having to wait for EMS coverage.”

LeClair expressed similar concerns about United’s staffing,

Russell told the council that United is has recently hired five new paramedics and expects to be fully staffed in the coming months.

Members of the public were invited to speak at the end of the session. Every one of the people who spoke urged the council to award the contract to Lisbon Emergency, including Yarmouth Fire Chief Michael Robitaille of Lisbon, Bowdoin Fire Chief Thomas Garrepy of Bowdoin, Bowdoin Select Board member Marc Bernier and two residents of Lisbon.

“They’re a lifesaver for us,” Garrepy said. He and Bernier expressed concerns that Bowdoin could be without EMS coverage if Lisbon Emergency was not awarded the contract.

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