06/05/2026
Response Regarding Recent Discussion of Winterport Ambulance Service
Recently, there has been considerable discussion surrounding the article published in the Midcoast Villager titled “What’s Going on in the Winterport Ambulance Service?” At a minimum, the reporting could be described as biased and, at best, lacking the balance that comes from presenting both sides of an issue.
As with most matters, there are two sides to every story, and it is important to address several misleading statements and provide additional context that has not been widely shared.
The primary topic at hand is Stockton Springs Ambulance's decision to withdraw from the countywide mutual aid agreement.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the background, the regional mutual aid agreement was developed collaboratively by multiple municipalities and EMS agencies. One of the principal driving forces behind the creation of this agreement was Chief Amy Drinkwater. The agreement was drafted, reviewed, and ultimately signed by Chief Drinkwater, other EMS chiefs at the time, and representatives from Waldo County EMA.
Under Section B, Definitions, the agreement clearly states that mutual aid is “understood to mean the sharing of assets when primary resources are depleted or otherwise engaged.” The phrase "primary resources depleted or otherwise engaged" is central to understanding how the agreement was intended to function.
When I assumed the role of chief in late 2023, Winterport Ambulance faced significant staffing challenges, including numerous uncovered shifts. At that time, we did not have sufficient personnel to consistently provide primary response coverage, and Stockton Springs Ambulance responded to many of those primary calls. Importantly, Stockton Springs Ambulance was compensated for those responses, with the reimbursement rate at that time being $300 per call.
During that period, Stockton Springs Ambulance did not express concerns regarding the mutual aid agreement. This is understandable given that responses into Winterport and Frankfort accounted for approximately 10% of Stockton Springs Ambulance's total call volume, according to the Stockton Springs Ambulance annual reports for 2023 and 2024.
Since late 2023, Winterport Ambulance has made substantial improvements in staffing. As coverage improved throughout 2024 and 2025, the number of occasions requiring primary response assistance from neighboring agencies, including Stockton Springs Ambulance, decreased significantly.
As outlined in the mutual aid agreement that Chief Drinkwater helped draft, agreed to, and signed, Stockton Springs Ambulance was subsequently requested for secondary responses when Winterport's primary ambulance was "otherwise engaged" on another call. As Winterport's staffing improved and Stockton Springs Ambulance no longer responded to the same volume of primary calls, Chief Drinkwater distributed a letter to surrounding towns dated December 20, 2025, which stated:
"Effective January 1, 2026, the Town/Service primary response fee will continue to be $500.00. This fee does not include any charges billed to us when a paramedic from a surrounding service is required to respond."
Another misleading statement presented in the article and by representatives of Stockton Springs Ambulance is the claim that Winterport Ambulance does not staff a second ambulance because we "don't want to."
The reality is that our staffing model is influenced by several factors, including regional workforce shortages, limited station accommodations, and the fact that the majority of our personnel reside outside of our immediate service area. These challenges are common among rural EMS agencies throughout the region.
Chief Drinkwater herself has expressed many of these same concerns regarding staffing and funding as reasons why Stockton Springs Ambulance does not regularly staff a second ambulance. In an email sent to me and the then-Winterport Town Manager on December 3, 2024, Chief Drinkwater stated:
"We have coverage at the station for one ambulance during the day but do not always have a second crew scheduled unless we know we are covering all four towns (Stockton, Prospect, Frankfort and Winterport). Our budget does not cover having two crews on all the time."
Additionally, during the EMS Chiefs Meeting on June 3, 2026, Chief Drinkwater stated that her budget would not support staffing two ambulances during the upcoming fiscal year.
Given those statements, it is reasonable to ask why Winterport Ambulance is criticized for not continuously staffing a second ambulance while Stockton Springs Ambulance faces the same operational realities. Like many rural EMS agencies, Winterport Ambulance is licensed for more than one ambulance but does not maintain continuous staffing for multiple units. The assertion that Winterport Ambulance is uniquely failing to staff a second ambulance, while similarly situated agencies face the same challenges, is inconsistent at best.
A third misleading statement is the claim that Winterport Ambulance has "never" responded to neighboring communities for mutual aid, particularly Stockton Springs.
In fact, Winterport Ambulance has responded to Stockton Springs for mutual aid requests. We have also offered paramedic assistance during incidents involving two separate critical patients. On both occasions, those offers were declined, and Stockton Springs Ambulance instead met the intercepting ambulance in our own parking lot to transfer the responding paramedic.
Beyond Stockton Springs, Winterport Ambulance has provided mutual aid responses to Monroe, Palmyra, Dixmont, Carmel, Hampden, and most recently to the Robbins Lumber mass-casualty incident in Searsmont.
In addition to responding to mutual aid requests, Winterport Ambulance provided its second ambulance to Stockton Springs Ambulance at no cost for approximately 45 days during 2024 while one of Stockton's ambulances was out of service for repairs.
These facts are important because they provide a more complete picture of the working relationship between the agencies and demonstrate Winterport Ambulance's continued commitment to regional cooperation and mutual aid. While reasonable people may disagree about operational decisions, those discussions should be based on complete and accurate information rather than incomplete narratives or selective representations of the facts.
At its core, this discussion is not about whether Winterport Ambulance values mutual aid, nor is it about a refusal to support neighboring communities. The facts demonstrate exactly the opposite.
Winterport Ambulance has spent the last several years working diligently to improve staffing, increase reliability, and reduce dependence on neighboring agencies for primary coverage. As our staffing improved throughout 2024 and 2025, our need for primary response assistance decreased, which is precisely the outcome our residents, municipal leaders, and regional partners should expect from a growing and improving EMS organization.
The mutual aid agreement at the center of this discussion was developed, supported, and signed by the very agencies now questioning its application. The agreement clearly defines mutual aid as the sharing of resources when primary resources are depleted or otherwise engaged. Winterport Ambulance has operated within those terms and has requested assistance accordingly.
The claim that Winterport Ambulance simply chooses not to staff a second ambulance ignores the reality faced by nearly every rural EMS agency in Maine. Workforce shortages, funding limitations, and staffing challenges affect all of us, including Stockton Springs Ambulance. Public statements and correspondence from Chief Drinkwater herself acknowledge these same challenges within her own organization. Holding Winterport Ambulance to a standard that neighboring agencies are unable to meet is neither reasonable nor consistent.
Likewise, the assertion that Winterport Ambulance does not provide mutual aid to neighboring communities is demonstrably false. Winterport has responded to Stockton Springs and numerous other communities throughout the region, offered advanced life support assistance when requested, and even provided a backup ambulance to Stockton Springs at no cost. These actions reflect a continued commitment to regional cooperation and patient care.
Reasonable people may disagree on how mutual aid systems should function, how services should be funded, or what operational models are most effective. Those are important discussions worth having. However, those discussions should be based on complete facts, not selective narratives. When all of the facts are considered, it becomes clear that Winterport Ambulance has acted in accordance with the mutual aid agreement, has significantly improved its ability to serve its communities, and has continued to support neighboring agencies whenever possible.
Our focus remains where it has always been: providing reliable emergency medical services to the residents we serve, supporting our regional partners when resources allow, and ensuring that decisions affecting public safety are based on facts, transparency, and a shared commitment to the communities that depend on all of us.
Chief Billy Hawkes
Winterport Ambulance
