Fire district lands $1.9 million for ambulances as board weighs $10.5 million station
Grants and used trucks are updating the fleet. Where the district will be based is still undecided.
The Central Maine Highlands Fire & EMS District #1 will get three new ambulances through a $1,875,000 federal grant. At the same time, its board is weighing whether to build a new station that could cost about $10.5 million.
New equipment
The district learned in September that the Health Resources and Services Administration approved the grant. It came through a congressionally directed spending request, and the district credited Sen. Susan Collins. Building the ambulances is expected to take 18 to 24 months.
A separate $16,497.84 grant from the Department of Homeland Security and the Maine Emergency Management Agency will pay for new mobile radios on all active units.
The district is also buying used vehicles:
- Ambulance: In August the district bought a used 2016 Type I ambulance with fewer than 60,000 miles. It is now the main 911 ambulance. The district traded in a retired ladder truck valued at $5,000.
- Trucks: On Sept. 10 the board approved $370,000 for three newer trucks to replace four older units. The trucks’ bodies can later be moved onto new chassis.
Staffing
The board said on Sept. 10 that staffing is back to full strength after the district hired a replacement paramedic. Grants pay for one paramedic student and four advanced EMT students.
Firefighters Sam Naylor and Dillon Barnes graduated from the Penobscot County Fire Academy on Aug. 21.
Where the district will be based
The board is choosing among three options. It can keep leasing the Howland station, lease it with an option to buy, or build its own station, most likely in Enfield.
The current lease costs the district $288,000 a year, including a $217,000 annual bond payment. A new building is projected at about $10.5 million, not counting land. Sheridan Construction told the board in August that design and construction would take about 16 to 18 months.
Directors raised concerns about the financial risk of putting roughly $9 million into a building. They also said earlier cost estimates didn’t agree with each other. Each town’s directors will present the three proposals to their select board for guidance.
Budget pressures
In August the board learned that health insurance rates are rising 30%. The board had budgeted for a 15% increase. It also found that the approved FY2026–27 budget left out benefit costs for four new positions.
In September the board approved drawing on an $85,000 line of credit to pay off the Howland equipment lease. It also canceled a planned golf fundraiser.
The board’s next meeting is Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. in the Howland meeting room.
Disclosure: Lincoln Town Square founder Chris Lord helped form the district and served on its board of directors for Edinburg until he resigned Aug. 21, 2026, after moving to Lincoln.