By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

PARIS – NorthStar Emergency Medical Services will continue to serve northern Oxford County’s unorganized territories despite some cost concerns.

The Oxford County commissioners Tuesday voted 3-0 to approve a contract for one year of services at a rate of $10,704, but they stated firmly they will continue to look at alternative providers. The two-year contract increases to $11,186 in the second year. It contains a clause that would allow the county break the agreement with advance notification.

“It always comes down to the response time,” commission Chairman Steve Merrill said, reacting to concerns that any other emergency service would not be able to reach accident victims as quickly as NorthStar, which has a base in Rangeley. “It seems very apparent that the majority of people are in favor of us maintaining the current relationship that we have.”

In April, the commissioners balked at an $11,204 contract presented by NorthStar Director David Robie. Administrative Assistant Carole Mahoney said the county paid only $4,983 for ambulance services in the previous fiscal year. Robie said a pricing structure used in the past was being updated as Franklin Memorial Hospital of Farmington consolidated ambulance services for Franklin and Oxford counties.

On Tuesday, Robie pointed out that the county commissioners had delayed their contract decision for months, even after the price was reduced to $10,704 due to a separate contract with Lincoln Plantation. He said NorthStar continued providing services in the unorganized territories after the old contract expired June 30, but would no longer do so.

Commissioner David Duguay said the county had considered another emergency services provider, Med-Care Ambulance of Mexico, at his suggestion.

There was public concern that Med-Care was too far away to provide adequate service across the unorganized territories.

After the meeting, Duguay said the hike in costs under NorthStar represented a 117 percent increase and was based on inaccurate numbers provided by Rangeley.

Robie disputed that claim when reached by phone at his office. He said the county may have paid only $4,983 for ambulance services in the previous year, but had been billed a greater amount. But that number was not at issue, he said.

NorthStar’s pricing structure was based on consideration of each town or unorganized township’s seasonal population, total assessed value and number of housing units, Robie said. He called the new structure a “more equitable and more fair value of the service.”