Essex Board of Selectmen Renews Ambulance Contract, Rejects Privatization Push

ESSEX -- September 8, 2025, Essex Board of Selectmen unanimously rejects ambulance privatization and advances a capital-heavy fall town meeting warrant. The board voted 2-0 with one abstention on routine warrants and unanimously on substantive items at its September 8 meeting, renewing its ambulance billing contract with Comstar at 7 percent of collections and building a draft warrant now running to at least 27 articles. Fire Chief Hassel reported average response times under six minutes and said the department handled 11 calls in a single 24-hour period, arguing against privatization: "We control our own destiny with the ambulance being in house." Public commenter and former private EMS executive Peter Hoare told the board a privately staffed ambulance would cost the town roughly $750,000 to $1 million per year in subsidy. The draft warrant includes a $600,000 water tanker replacement, a $70,000 police cruiser, and a potential full-time fire prevention officer, a position former Chief Dan Doucette said has been needed for more than a decade. The warrant must be signed by October 20.