Source: Sanford pulls plug on Lebanon mutual aid

SANFORD - Sanford Fire and Rescue on Friday discontinued all Rescue mutual aid service to Lebanon, citing nonpayment of $2,000 sole responder fees, The Lebanon Voice has learned.

Sanford began imposing the fees on Dec. 1, but has never been paid for what it submitted.

Lebanon Selectmen Chairman Ben Thompson said last week that none of the $2,000 sole responder surcharges had been paid to any of the four ambulance services that initiated the fee as Lebanon town and fire officials were trying to negotiate new protocols that might reduce the fee.

The Lebanon Voice learned of the latest development from a Sanford firefighter who had seen the email that was sent to Thompson and other surrounding towns' rescue departments that had also adopted the $2,000 fee if they, too, had to respond to a Lebanon incident in which Lebanon could not field a crew.

The Sanford firefighter who supplied the information to The Lebanon Voice asked to stay anonymous as they were not authorized to release such information.

"I am not sure how public this information is being spread," they said on Friday.

The firefighter said they saw the email from Sanford Fire Chief Steven Benotti on Friday and that the change was to become effective immediately.

Thompson, Benotti and Milton Fire Chief Nick Marique were immediately unavailable for comment.

The firefighter told The Lebanon Voice that every Sanford firefighter and EMT had received the email.

They said that Friday's email referenced an earlier Sanford Fire email in which a deadline had been given for Lebanon to make at least some of the $2,000 payments owed and that that deadline had come and gone.

They added the email suggested that if and when the billing situation is rectified, Lebanon coverage may be reinstituted.

They said they did not know how Sanford Regional Communications, which dispatches for Lebanon incidents, would implement the change.

Bill Tower, the chief of Sanford Regional Communications, was also immediately unavailable.