By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

The Hooksett Town Council and budget committee are supporting a proposed Hooksettonly 24-hour ambulance service to be under the auspices of the fire department.

At the council’s March 9 meeting, representatives of the town’s longtime ambulance provider, Tri-Town, and an Allenstown representative, urged councilors to table any immediate action.

Yet the council voted 4-2, with one abstention, to present a warrant article this year that will request $156,000 for the first six month’s wages for four new fire department paramedics.

The article also calls for an ambulance to be purchased solely from impact fees.

If voters approve the article, the Hooksett-only ambulance service would be fully operational beginning Jan. 1, fire officials said.

Representatives of Tri-Town, a consortium of three towns – Hooksett, Pembroke and Allenstown – formed 34 years ago, urged councilors to wait at least another year to propose the change.

Tri-Town treasurer Ron Adinolfo told councilors the change would “put a huge burden on two friends that supported you.”

He noted that Pembroke and Allenstown have different budget cycles than Hooksett. Adinolfo said some of the nonprofit company’s employees have already been asking if their job is safe.

Said Allenstown Selectmen’s Chairman Sandra McKenney, “It is going to have a very large impact on Allenstown.”

Last year, Tri-Town responded to 978 calls in Hooksett.

That’s more than the number of calls made from Pembroke and Allenstown combined.

A town council subcommittee studied Hooksett’s ambulance situation in 2001.

The group recognized that a Hooksett-run ambulance would likely be a necessity, but ultimately recommended the town hire an ambulance company.

Town Councilor George Longfellow suggested that determination was partly based on poor management in the fire department at that time.

Current Fire Chief Mike Williams said Hooksett’s growth is leading to increasing numbers of ambulance calls.

“We’ve made it to the point that we need to make the next step in town,” said Williams.

Town Councilor Dan Belanger said he liked the townonly plan, but abstained from voting on the issue due to a lack of information.

“I like this proposal, but we have nothing else,” he said. We have no knowledge of other proposals.”

The ambulance discussion was spurred by the budget committee, which voted unanimously to support the warrant article.

Committee Chairman Judy Casey said if the council didn’t move forward, then a citizen’s petition would be circulated.

Casey and Williams each suggested a town ambulance could save the town significant costs, and perhaps even generate revenue. Williams noted that Londonderry’s town-only ambulance service generates about $400,000.

“Any other proposal is going to cost the town money,” he said.

Since the vote
Since the council’s vote, the town advertised a request for 24-hour service proposals, and has mailed the request to several area ambulance providers.

Laura Thibeault, chairman of Tri-Town’s executive board of directors, said she received her letter in the mail on Feb. 17, just 12 days before the proposals were due.

Thibeault said the town requested ambulance providers to present proposals that would give Hooksett 24-hour ambulance coverage, with one crew permanently dedicated to the town.

The request also outlines certain requirements, said Thibeault, like giving the town rights to inspect equipment, personnel and billing practices.

“I wonder if they make the same requests to all the independent contractors they hire,” said Thibeault.

Thibeault questioned the intentions of the town in requesting such a proposal in so little time.

“It seems there’s really a motive to eliminate everyone,” she said. “A lot of these requests are really inappropriate and would disqualify the local companies.”

Town council Chairman Michael DiBitetto said the proposal requests were put together by the fire department to gather more information for voters for the Hooksett’s April 1 deliberative session of Town Meeting.

“Unfortunately, the timing is set – we’ve got our Town Meeting coming up,” said DiBitetto.

Tri-Town expects to present the town with a 24-hour coverage plan, though Thibeault said it would be difficult to meet all the town’s requirements.