# Hatfield Seeks Ambulance Services Agreement

South County EMS is seeking a revised agreement to become Hatfield, Massachusetts’ primary ambulance provider, replacing its mutual-aid backup role. It proposed a rate of $1,178 per ambulance call, compared with the current $350 rate, citing frequent calls and an imbalance between service costs and town funding. The proposal calculates the rate from service costs plus 10% for administrative, fuel, and supply expenses. Hatfield is considering staffing improvements, while the agreement’s terms and longer-term regionalization remain under discussion. The Selectboard was expected to discuss the rate on September 29, 2026; the signal does not report the outcome. The current agreement has received 30 days’ termination notice, with a possible extension for negotiations.

- Procurement officials can evaluate the proposed cost basis and per-call rate against call volume, current funding, and the service responsibilities that would shift to South County EMS as primary provider.
- The proposed change has service-continuity implications: South County EMS has raised concerns about its crew assuming the work without support, while Hatfield is considering staffing improvements.
- Providers and municipal stakeholders involved in negotiations can account for the possible extension of the current agreement and the ongoing discussion of regionalization when assessing transition and service arrangements.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety, Healthcare
**Topics:** Emergency Response
**Published:** October 03, 2026

### Government Entities
- Town of Hatfield
- Hatfield Fire Department
- Hatfield Selectboard
- Board of Oversight

### Vendors
- South County EMS (Proposed primary ambulance provider)

### Key Quotes
> It also puts more of a burden on my crew to now do everything on their own and not have support.
> — Tim Drumgool, Chief of South County EMS

### Sources
- [Massachusetts EMS seeks $1,178 per ambulance call, says town 'isn't contributing'](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/massachusetts-ems-seeks-1-178-030800530.html) - Yahoo