Milton OKs $2G sole responder surcharge

Milton Fire Chief Nick Marique

MILTON - Milton selectmen approved implementation of the $2,000 rescue service surcharge on Monday to join North Berwick, Sanford and Frisbie Hospital in Rochester in their new sole responder fees that will be charged the town of Lebanon.

An official from North Berwick said they had already enacted the new surcharge, while confirmation from Frisbie was not immediately available.

The new surcharge was to become effective on Monday and will be billed to the town whenever Sanford, Milton, North Berwick or Frisbie ambulances are the sole responder to a Lebanon incident because Lebanon Rescue in unable to put its ambulance into service.

Milton Town Administrator Liz Dionne said today the letter officially apprising Lebanon selectmen of Milton's intent to initiate the fee structure would be sent today. Milton's new surcharge will also apply to Acton.

Sanford officials first began mulling the new fee after a Lebanon official approached the city asking what it would charge to become Lebanon's primary responder, according to the Sanford Fire Chief Steve Benotti.

Benotti said the rise of Lebanon incident calls in which Sanford is the lone responder is up more than 30 percent over recent years. To get that number he said they looked at the previous three fiscal years and compared it to the rate of calls from July 1 to November.

Sanford will also charge the new fee to Acton and Shapleigh.

Meanwhile, Save Our Ambulance, a group of Lebanon citizens concerned with the loss of Rescue 2 - seen as an integral part of reducing such calls in which one of the four surrounding ambulance services is a sole responder in Lebanon - is on the agenda for tonight's 6:30 p.m. selectmen's meeting at Town Offices.

The group recently mounted a successful petition drive to force a revote of the Nov. 4 ambulance referendum question they claim was steeped in legalese and confusing to voters. Selectmen have said they are open to options, but have stopped short of openly backing the petition drive, which would force a revote on the ballot question and allow the town to possibly retain Rescue 2, the town's most modern and well-equipped ambulance.

Petition organizers are hoping for a large contingent of townspeople at tonight's meeting in an effort to keep pressure on selectmen to schedule a revote. Selectmen Chairman Ben Thompson said last week the soonest a revote could take place would be Jan. 14 if selectmen decide to go along with the petition.

"We need as many people to come to the meeting in support of Rescue 2 as can possibly be there," said Harrison Thorp, one of the petition organizers. "With the surcharge staring us in the face, it would be foolhardy not to keep Rescue 2."