Rindge and its contracted ambulance service, the Jaffrey-Rindge Memorial Ambulance, are at odds over payment for the past year and the upcoming one, with Rindge now looking at other potential options for emergency services.
JRMA has informed the town that failure to pay the remainder of its bill will mean ambulance service will be cut off on Feb. 20.
According to a release issued by the JRMA, the organization requested $125,000 each from Jaffrey and Rindge for the past year’s operation of the ambulance service.
Rindge, which is currently in a default budget, had $46,500 approved within the budget for ambulance services. In 2025 the town also approved two other warrant articles for additional ambulance charges not covered within the budget, one for $40,000 and the other for $38,000. The total of all approved warrants and the approved budget for ambulance services is $125,000, the amount requested by JRMA.
A letter sent to the town on Jan. 20 informed Rindge that if the outstanding $27,000 balance was not paid in full, or if the town does not formally agree to funding JRMA’s $125,000 request for the coming year, JRMA would suspend service to the town as of Feb. 20.
The town has until Jan. 30 to respond to the letter.
In a release issued by the JRMA, the cost to Rindge per ambulance call is more than $500 lower, at a minimum, than other regional ambulance services can provide.
“JRMA officials emphasize that the service was created solely to provide emergency medical transport to the two towns and does not operate for profit,” JRMA’s release states. “All funding supports staffing, equipment, training and operational readiness.”
The organization pointed to its longstanding relationships with other emergency services, including the Rindge and Jaffrey Fire Departments, as assets to the town, and Rindge’s lack of EMS transport infrastructure.
“This is about honoring the will of the voters and protecting the lives of the people who call Rindge and Jaffrey home,” the JRMA organization stated in the release.
What are the issues?
The towns have seen a large increase in the cost of the ambulance services since 2024.
In 2024, Rindge’s portion of the JRMA funding was $46,500, which was budgeted for and paid in full.
For 2025, JRMA requested a 169% increase in funding, to $125,000.
Rindge did not budget for the whole the request in its 2025 budget, but did seek approval for $85,000 for ambulance services, which represented about 33% of the JRMA request, equivalent to the percentage of calls that Rindge received compared to Jaffrey.
The budget did not pass, putting the town into default, which is last year’s budget with some additions or subtractions outlined by law. This put the approved line for ambulance costs back to the approved 2024 number of $46,500.
Anticipating the possibility of a default, the town had requested two additional warrant articles dealing with ambulance funding. One was for an additional $38,500 for ambulance services, which would cover the costs not included in the potential default budget. The article would have become void if the budget passed, but was approved and did become active when the town entered a default budget scenario.
A second warrant approved in 2025 established an expendable trust fund for ambulance services and added $40,000 to the fund. The purpose of the fund was for “providing additional funds for ambulance service charges not included in the operating budget.”
Neither warrant article references JRMA specifically.
According to Rindge Town Administrator Max Vandervliet, Rindge has paid JRMA the total of $98,000 for ambulance service charges for 2025. This includes the $46,500 in the approved budget, $38,500 from one of the approved warrant articles, and an additional $13,000 from the ambulance expendable trust.
JRMA has billed the town for the remaining $27,000.
According to Vandervliet, the town offered an additional $16,000 to keep JRMA “out of the red” for 2025, but that offer was refused and never officially came before the Rindge Select Board for a vote.
Vandervliet said there are several issues the town has with the JRMA.
He said the JRMA has not fulfilled some of its agreed-upon services, particularly a commitment for 24-hour, seven days a week coverage.
Vandervliet said in the past year, the town has had to rely on mutual aid assistance from Peterborough for ambulance service, priced at $1,000 per ambulance ride. He said some of the funds from the warrant article have been used for that purpose.
He said that for the last several years, it’s also been consistent that while the cost for the ambulance service has been split down the middle between Jaffrey and Rindge, Jaffrey has consistently had higher ambulance usage.
In 2025, according to Rindge, the JRMA responded to 419 calls in that town and 679 calls in Jaffrey. This puts the annual cost per call for Rindge at $298 and $184 for Jaffrey.
Implications for Jaffrey
Jaffrey Town Manager Jon Frederick said the town has been in communication with the JRMA board about the possible implications of Rindge splitting from the service.
“The way we understand it, whether Rindge is there or not, we will continue to get service,” said Frederick. “We don’t expect the level of service to change. We’re holding up our end of the bargain with JRMA and they’re doing the best they can to hold up their end.”
Frederick said Jaffrey looked into other ambulance options as recently as last year and determined that JRMA provided the best potential response times and was significantly cheaper than other potential options, which also included the County Ambulance.
Last year, Jaffrey received quotes for ambulance service from Peterborough Ambulance, which would have been about $560,000 annually, and the County Ambulance, for about $43 per capita, or $236,500 for Jaffrey, according to Frederick.
Average response times from the County Ambulance were also anticipated to increase to a total of about 30 minutes, which Frederick said wasn’t adequate.
“We understand the price that [JRMA] is asking for is very reasonable, and any other option is much more expensive and response times are longer,” he said.
Other options for Rindge
Vandervliet said the town is considering other ambulance options.
On Tuesday, he met with representatives from the Cheshire County ambulance about an interim and potentially permanent solution for ambulance services for Rindge.
“We have to explore all other options,” said Vandervliet. “Above all, we want to ensure continuity of service.”
He said one of the options being discussed is housing a county ambulance and crew in Rindge. Vandervliet said options are being explored to house the ambulance and bunk quarters at space at Franklin Pierce University or the town’s firehouse.
“I would say the board is taking this extremely seriously, and continuing to negotiate something in good faith with JRMA, while also making sure that maintaining service is the top priority,” said Vandervliet.
He met with County Ambulance Chief Mark Kraemer on Tuesday to discuss the possibility. Vandervliet said that there is no firm cost structure proposed at this time, but switching to the county ambulance is expected to be more than Rindge’s portion of the JRMA cost.
Vandervliet said if the town goes with the County Ambulance option, it could use the $85,000 in the proposed budget for ambulance services, the $40,000 in a proposed warrant article for the coming year, and funds remaining from last year’s $40,000 warrant article. He said the remainder could be added through an amendment at the town’s deliberative session this weekend, Jan. 31, or by budget adjustments within the approved budget next year.
According to Vandervliet, the county has agreed to a potential month-to-month agreement until the town decides on a long-term solution for its ambulance response.
Vandervliet said the potential trade-off for the increased cost would be 24-hour staffing with at least one paramedic on duty at all times, and reduced response times because it would be based in town.
The last scheduled Rindge Select Board meeting prior to the deadline for response which JRMA issued in its Jan. 20 letter was scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 28. Vandervliet said the matter was not officially on the agenda as of Tuesday afternoon, but did expect it to be discussed.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.