Some EMTs are opposing a state plan to dock ferries that serve four islands on the mainland at night.
Maine's Department of Transportation said the majority of ferry staff live on the mainland, and the change is needed to better recruit and retain workers as well as reduce costs.
But Morton Hansen, an EMT on North Haven, said docking ferries overnight on islands is essential for medical emergencies.
"If we make this change, there's going to be patients who suffer irreversible cardiac or neurological damage from longer transport times, and there's going to be patients who are going to die," he said.
The DOT says the proposal is conceptual and will likely take two to three years to implement. It would also include the addition of medical transport boats for each island. But Hansen said that would also be costly and present staffing challenges.
Democratic Representative Ann Matlack said she's introducing a bill to the state legislature that would put the current practice of docking on islands overnight into law.
