DIXFIELD – Selectmen unanimously voted to support the concept of constructing a $2.4 million Med-Care Ambulance Service building at their late Monday afternoon meeting.

The decision followed a request by Dan Mitchell, Dixfield’s representative to the Med-Care board, to give him direction on how he should vote at Wednesday’s ambulance board meeting.

“This site should lend itself to regionalizing police and fire departments,” said Mitchell, a strong advocate of regionalizing services in the River Valley area.

Tentatively planned, if Med-Care’s 11 member towns agree, is construction of 10-bay ambulance building on a six-acre lot next to the Region 9 School of Applied Technology in Mexico.

Mitchell said if the plan goes through, Dixfield would pay $18,404 annually toward the loan. The per capita rate charged by the ambulance service to the town would go from $12 to $19.25.

He said the Med-Care board will meet Wednesday night to decide whether to go forward with its plan.

Although Mitchell advocates regionalizing some of the River Valley towns’ emergency services, the plan acted on by selectmen supports construction of a building for Med-Care equipment and personnel. He said the lot, however, would be large enough to accommodate additions for police and fire departments.

“We’re behind the eight-ball here, as far as combined fire, police and ambulance services in a public safety building,” he said, adding that he believes the area is only a few years a away from not having volunteer fire departments.

Some selectmen were concerned with the town’s investment in a new building if for some reason Med-Care should disband.

That was one of the questions Mitchell said he would look into as the plan moves forward.

Representatives from the Med-Care board or ambulance service have been making the rounds of the organization’s member towns to present the idea and to make a case for a larger facility. The existing one, also in Mexico, can house only four of the service’s 10 vehicles and the living quarters for staff is too small, they have said.