HARRISON — Harrison is one of several towns in western Maine affected by United Ambulance Service’s new policy to charge municipalities for first responder calls.

The annual expense to Harrison is expected to be more than $40,000.

Selectmen have scheduled two public hearings on the matter. The first will start 6 p.m. tonight at the Harrison Town Office.

The second will be Monday, also starting at 6 p.m. A special Select Board hearing will immediately follow to further discuss the expense and alternative options.

And a special town meeting will be held July 30 for residents to vote on the matter.

Town officials were recently informed by United Ambulance Service that it will start charging $282 per first-responder charge. The rate was set during a previous contract negotiation with the town of Bridgton. Now, according to Town Manager Cass Newell, United has approached Harrison, Denmark and Sweden to put the same arrangement in place.

Newell first informed selectmen of United Ambulance’s intent during their June 13 business meeting. There had not been enough notice to include the anticipated expense as an article on the Harrison’s annual town meeting warrant.

The annual town meeting had been held one day earlier.

Currently, United provides about 55% of Harrison’s first responder calls, with PACE Ambulance Service in Norway covering the rest. Options include accepting continuing service from United at $282 a call, or dropping the service and relying on PACE for ambulance calls.

On July 11 Newell told selectmen that PACE has confirmed they will continue service at no charge for the remainder of 2024 but may charge in the future, possibly as soon as January.

Patients receiving ambulance service from United and PACE choose whether to be transported to Bridgton Hospital or Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway. Newell is concerned that residents living further from Norway than Bridgton could receive poorer patient outcomes if PACE is the only ambulance service available.