KEENE, NH – Negotiations have concluded between the City of Keene and Cheshire County EMS for back up service and an agreement has been reached.

City Manager Elizabeth Dragon will go before the Keene City Council Thursday evening and ask that Section 26 of the Rules of Order be suspended to allow action on the agreement, which would authorize her to execute a sole source back up ambulance agreement with Cheshire EMS.

Since the closure of DiLuzio Ambulance earlier this year, the city has been receiving back-up service from Rescue Inc. That was a 90-day contract and as of November 1st, Rescue Inc. has pulled their crew and ambulances from Keene fire stations but have continued to provide limited assistance.

In Dragon’s recommendation, available in the Keene City Council agenda packet, she said that situation is not ideal as it leads to longer wait times.

Negotiations between the city and the county concluded last week, and the agreement has been reviewed by the City Attorney to include further revised language and recommended edits from Keene Fire Chief Don Farquhar.

Among other things, the agreement stipulates that Keene Fire will remain the primary provider for ambulance service within the city, and Cheshire EMS will provide backup service for Keene and its contract towns, which include Nelson, Roxbury, Chesterfield, Surry, and Sullivan. Cheshire EMS will also take over DiLuzio’s role in responding to calls from nursing homes within the city for urgent and scheduled transfers.

The agreement also includes a 90-day clause to terminate the agreement by either party for no cause and says Dragon and County Administrator Chris Coates will meet quarterly to review operations.

That being said, Dragon and Farquhar continue to have concerns about the County’s service, including its financial model. The County has assured them that the service will remain an enterprise fund, meaning it would be exclusively funded by the revenue it generates, but Dragon notes the county’s proposed draft budget includes about $1 million of Proshare funding to balance the EMS budget.

Dragon and Farquhar have also questioned the County’s use of American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funding to establish the ambulance service but noted that determining if the county is in violation of any grant requirements or state or federal laws is a matter to be determined by other agencies. Recently Farquhar put his name on a complaint filed with the US Treasury Office regarding numerous alleged violations of the misuse of grant funding and other rule violations, but he assures the city and the community that he did so as a private citizen, not as a representative for the City of Keene.

Despite her concerns, Dragon is urging the Council to authorize her to move forward and execute the agreement quickly to ensure a plan is in place, as options for backup services are extremely limited.

The matter will appear before the full Keene City Council Thursday night. The meeting begins at 7 pm in council chambers at city hall and will be livestreamed on the city’s website and YouTube page, and Spectrum Local Access channels 1301 and 1302.