Rindge signs new ambulance deal with Peterborough

JRMA, founded in 1948, will continue answering calls in Rindge through the end of 2026.

Rindge will end its reliance on Jaffrey-Rindge Memorial Ambulance in December after town leaders opted not to extend the current service agreement for next year, according to JRMA Chief Adam Langlois in a written statement Thursday.

Town Administrator Max Vandervliet said Rindge has now secured a contract with Peterborough Fire & Rescue to cover ambulance service. He said the new arrangement for 2027 will cost more than $250,000, but that JRMA’s pricing had already become unpredictable after rising sharply in back-to-back years.

This year, JRMA had quoted Rindge $125,000, while the price for next year would have jumped to $250,000, Vandervliet said. That pattern, he said, raised doubts about whether the cost would keep climbing.

Officials had already faced the possibility of leaving the cooperative service last year, though they ultimately reached an agreement to avoid any interruption in coverage. This time, Vandervliet said, the town started planning earlier. He and Fire Chief Bob Faas spent the summer reviewing alternatives in case a deal with JRMA could not be reached.

Among the other possibilities were Cheshire EMS and the Winchendon (Mass.) Fire Department. Faas said the Winchendon option would have created complications because providers would need certification in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire and would have to follow different medical protocols depending on the state. The Cheshire EMS option would have required the town to house personnel at the Rindge fire station, which would have meant building a bunk room, completing major renovations and bringing the facility up to code, according to Vandervliet. He said that path would have been too costly.

Peterborough emerged as the most dependable choice, Vandervliet said, because it offered a steadier price and a more reliable service arrangement.

Faas said his own field experience with Peterborough crews gave him confidence in the new provider. He said he had seen their attention to patients and their working relationships with other providers, and while the switch will take some getting used to, he believes it serves Rindge well.

Langlois said the organization is expected to keep serving Jaffrey for the foreseeable future and described the change as an important moment for an agency with deep ties to the region. He said the group’s long history has been defined by its members responding to emergencies for friends, relatives, neighbors and strangers alike.