LIVERMORE FALLS — The town has 90 days to reapply for the Fire Rescue Department’s license for responding to emergency medical service calls that don’t require transport, state EMS Director Sam Hurley said Thursday.
The license expired Nov. 30 and the department didn’t reapply because of a lack of firefighter staff to respond to calls. Select Board Chairman Jim Long said at a previous board meeting that turnout has been zero to two. At a recent fire, three firefighters showed up.
Jay and Livermore fire rescue departments have been helping the Livermore Falls department cover calls.
A notice should have been published Nov. 1 indicating the service license would terminate in 30 days. It is not unusual for a department to wait until the last minute to renew a license, Hurley said.
The town will have to answer to the investigation unit on why the notice was posted late, if it reapplies.
“There has to be some accountability,” Hurley said.
It would be unlawful for firefighters to respond to emergency medical calls now, he said.
When Town Manager Amanda Allen let the agency know that the fire department wouldn’t be reapplying for the license, a notice was sent to her Nov. 23 to post.
The notice would have said that the service license was expiring 30 days from the date the notice was published. Since it was not published on time, he suggested that Allen modify it to read the license was discontinued Nov. 30 to let the public know. The notice was amended and will be posted in the Sun Journal on Friday.
Allen said she didn’t post the notice earlier because she “wanted to make sure that was the route we were actually taking.”
“We are willing to help but we need to know where they want to go,” Hurley said.
NorthStar EMS will continue to provide medical response and transport service to residents in Livermore Falls.
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