WEYMOTH – Fallon Ambulance, Brewster Ambulance and South Shore Health System’s Emergency Medical Services are vying to serve as the town’s ambulance provider.

The three ambulance companies responded to the town’s request for proposals by the deadline on Wednesday evening.

Town Solicitor Joseph Callanan said a committee will review the proposals and likely select a provider within 30 days. Officials plan to make the proposals public and available on the town website.

In October 2015, then-Mayor Sue Kay granted Fallon Ambulance a two-year contract extension that expires this fall. Mayor Robert Hedlund said the company has agreed to extend the contract until July 1 to provide enough time for the bidding process and a potential transition period.

While ambulance services are exempt from state procurement laws, Hedlund chose to put the service out to bid for the first time in at least the last decade, if not ever. He said the bidding process would “create a more beneficial and competitive deal for the town through an open market.”

In addition to Weymouth, Quincy-based Fallon Ambulance is the 9-1-1 provider for Milton, Brookline and Dedham and provides primary backup to Boston and Randolph.

Peter Racicot, Fallon’s senior vice president of business development, said he thinks the company’s “experience in the community” makes it the right fit for Weymouth.

“We’ve put together a strong package for the town to consider, and we look forward to working through the process with the town and the committee,” he said.

Brewster Ambulance opened a new 35,000-square-foot headquarters in Weymouth earlier this year on property it previously used for vehicle storage. The company serves as the ambulance responder for Quincy, Braintree, Brockton, Plymouth, Middleboro and Taunton.

Mark Brewster, president and CEO of Brewster Ambulance, said the company would build a public safety system working with the town's police and fire departments, and not simply serve as the town's ambulance provider.

“With the resources we have in town, we have more ambulances available than any other company, and we made a huge investment to make Weymouth our home,” he said. “We look forward to the process going forward.”

South Shore Health System – the parent organization of South Shore Hospital – has 10 ambulances and 70 emergency medical services staff that currently support 10 local fire departments, three private ambulance providers, more than 1,000 medical providers and six area ambulatory care sites.

Dr. Jason Tracy, chair of emergency medicine at South Shore Hospital, said in an emailed statement that South Shore EMS is more than an ambulance service, but a resource for “integrated health care” as well.

“We feel that a partnership between the Town of Weymouth and South Shore EMS provides the best possible outcome for all patients and community stakeholders. We look forward to learning more about the committee’s decision,” he said in the statement.

A committee including Police Chief Richard Grimes, Fire Chief Keith Stark, Emergency Management Director John Mulveyhill, Public Health Director Daniel McCormack and Hedlund’s chief of staff, Ted Langill, helped draft the bid invitation and will review and rate the proposals.

In drafting the request for proposals, Callanan said the committee considered things such as what other communities require, what Fallon provides, and what tools and services the town would most benefit from.

Callanan said one part of the bid invitation focused on community support, and what kinds of training opportunities the ambulance service could provide to residents and first responders.

The bid also asked the ambulance providers to propose reimbursements they would make to the town for services the fire department renders. The town is seeking compensation for any care firefighters give prior to the ambulance’s arrival, such as administering CPR or the overdose-reversing drug Narcan.

Jessica Trufant may be reached at jtrufant@ledger.com.