Oxford Fire Rescue Department Chief Ashley Wax-Armstrong presents a proposal March 20 to selectmen to staff the department with eight full-time positions for 24/7 coverage. Seated with her at the Town Office on Pottle Road is Town Manager Adam Garland. Nicole Carter/Advertiser Democrat

OXFORD — Fire Rescue Chief Ashley Wax-Armstrong is requesting to have eight full-time positions for 24-hour coverage in the  fiscal year that begins July 1.

Town Manager Adam Garland said at the March 6 Select Board meeting that if no substantial changes are made for next year, the department’s projected budget would stand at $1.12 million, a $52,000 increase over this fiscal year. Expanding it to full-time staff would bring it to $1.2 million, he said.

The department employs day shift firefighters and EMS workers Monday through Friday. Weekend coverage is provided by two firefighters and two EMS staff who are part time.

Wages for full-time firefighters would be about $21 an hour, while those with EMS certification and more experience would receive $25 an hour. The positions will be eligible for regular medical and retirement benefits.

“Most of our per diems work full-time elsewhere, so their allegiance is to their full-time employers,” Wax-Armstrong told selectmen during her 2025-26 budget presentation March 20.

She said she expects ramped-up staffing to happen over a period of months, projecting that four new employees could be on the payroll by fall, and the rest by the beginning of 2026.

“We have three people in the department who don’t work for other departments who have expressed interest in working full-time for Oxford,” Wax-Armstrong said, “and others that work at other agencies or in the private sector who may be interested.”

The board suggested that given the challenge of hiring that many people quickly, an incrementally increasing budget would be a more feasible – and less expensive – plan.

They also voiced concern that with more full-time first responders on the clock, Oxford could end up providing a disproportionate amount of mutual aid to other communities.

“Mutual aid has to be mutual,” board Vice Chairman Dana Dillingham. “There needs to be some way of tracking that … I know whenever there’s a fire people come from every direction.”

Wax-Armstrong said that as of March 5, Oxford provided mutual aid 23 times and received eight. During the same period last year, it provided aid 20 times and received seven.

Chairman Floyd Thayer said he agreed with several points in the expansion plan but he is not ready to support it for a town meeting vote as presented.

Board members Scott Hunter and Sharon Jackson said they need more time to review the proposal before they could support it on a town meeting warrant.

“I would like to see a mixed plan,” for staggered hiring, Dillingham said. “If we put this to the townspeople and they vote for it, you’re not going to have full-time people immediately. It will take time. You may have three or four in a month to 60 days, but to get the others it’s going take the better part of six months at a minimum … But you’ll still be paying per diem people. It’s just a different title now.”

Town Manager Adam Garland said he and Wax-Armstrong will have additional scenarios for selectmen to review.