The Woolwich select board continues to weigh options for 24/7 ambulance service. Chairman David King Sr. and selectmen Dale Chadbourne and Jason Shaw are set to meet with Bath officials Wednesday morning, March 6 at 9 a.m. at Bath City Hall.

Last month, Bath presented two options, one providing 24/7 coverage, another for supplemental coverage if Woolwich expands its own ambulance service. King said Bath officials requested the meeting.

On Monday afternoon, selectmen met for an hour with Fire Chief Mike Demers and EMS Director Brian Carlton. A second informational meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 27 in the Woolwich Central School cafeteria.

“One question from the first meeting concerned our ambulance department’s response time,” said Carlton. “Our average, from the time the page goes out to having the ambulance at the scene is about 10 minutes anywhere in town.” The town's current ambulance provider North East Mobile Health has an average response time of 15 to 20 minutes, he added.

Carlton told the board he’s plotting ambulance calls on a map to illustrate where an ambulance is needed most frequently. At the informational meeting, he’ll explain what happens after a 911 call is received and also what the department would do if a second ambulance call were received.

At the board’s request, Demers and Carlton have pared the options down to two proposals, one to expand the town’s EMS department, the other to contract with Bath.

“You may be the only option,” said King. “We won’t know until after Wednesday’s meeting.”

If voters opt to expand the town's EMS service, the town will need to buy a second ambulance. Demers said a new “demo” model would run about $150,000. “It could be financed over a seven-year period,” he added. King said he’s hopeful the town could pay the vehicle off sooner with revenues the department receives after expanding the service.

Tim Mellen leads a group of dedicated volunteers called the “Regulars” who provide minor home repairs to needy residents. “We work with Habitat for Humanity/7 Rivers and also C.H.I.P. in Lincoln County. We’ve been involved with over 170 projects over the last four years,” he said.

Mellen told the board many of the projects involve building ramps and widening doorways. The group also does minor indoor repairs. Mellen said one challenge is finding residents in need of these services. The group also has limited funds.

Selectman Allison Helper said she’ll include a story about the group in the town’s spring newsletter.

The board bought a laptop computer from Burgess Technology Services of Bath for $1,440.