Senator Jackson Appoints Caribou Firefighters (IAFF 5191) President to Serve on EMS Blue Ribbon Commission

Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Allagash) has appointed Scott Dow of Caribou to the Legislature’s newly-formed Blue Ribbon Commission to Study the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the State. Dow is a professional firefighter paramedic for the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Department and serves as president of Caribou Professional Firefighters Local 5191.

“Scott Dow is someone who has dedicated himself to public service as a firefighter and paramedic serving Caribou” said  Jackson in a statement. “His experience will bring great perspective to the Blue Ribbon Commission as it begins the work of making recommendations to the Legislature. He knows the importance of having excellent EMS providers on the scene in moments of crisis because he’s lived it.”

The Commission is tasked with examining the structure, support and delivery of emergency medical services in Maine. The Commission will examine all aspects of emergency medical services, including workforce development, training, compensation, worker retention, costs, reimbursement rates, organization and local and state support.

Rural emergency medical services operate on a shoestring budget and have been in crisis for a long time due to chronic underfunding, recruitment and retainment challenges, an aging rural population and other issues. This has caused long delays for ambulances to reach accidents and health emergencies in many parts of Maine. Medicaid reimbursements are much lower for ambulances services, which requires localities to rely on local taxpayer funding and volunteers to support emergency response efforts.

“If anyone had any idea about what was going on with EMS in this state they’d wrap themselves in bubble wrap, sit down in a recliner and never move. It’s really not safe,” said Ronnie Green, Vice President of the Professional Firefighters of Maine.

Dow says rural EMS has long been a safety net for people who don’t have primary care doctors, are new to the area or are uninsured, but now its really struggling to provide that service. He says he looks forward to his work on the committee as it comes up with recommendations to fix rural EMS.

“It’s been broken for a long time and forming this commission has been a long time coming,” he said. “I have high expectations of this commission and I just hope when can get to a place where EMS in Maine is in better spot than it is now.”

The Commission is authorized to hold 6 meetings, and will report their findings and suggestions to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety in December 2022.