The Tri-Town Ambulance service committee will recommend to the Chilmark selectmen on Tuesday that interim chief Paul (Zeke) Wilkins be permanently appointed chief, committee chairman and Aquinnah police chief Randhi Belain confirmed this week.
Mr. Wilkins has served as interim chief since February when Robert Bellinger resigned. The committee had offered the post to a candidate from Connecticut, who withdrew his application.
The Tri-Town Ambulance service is requesting a 60 per cent increase for their budget next year due to a new state mandate that requires full-time paramedics for the service.
If all three towns — Chilmark, West Tisbury and Aquinnah — approve the hike, the cost of the service will go up $275,420, from an operating budget of $452,995 to one of $728,415.
Chief medicine man Luther T. Madison blessed the latest ambulance of the tri-town fleet in a ceremony held on the lawn of the tribal administration building on Sept. 17. Present were tribal members, members of tribal council, tribal staff, tri-town emergency medical technicians, Aquinnah selectmen, Aquinnah fire chief Walter Delaney and Aquinnah police chief Randhi Belain.
