State Department: Maine

If you’re a paramedic or EMT who’s thinking of relocating or would just like to learn more about life across the U.S., EMS World’s State Department is worth a look. We start with data-driven “snapshots” of each state, then add a few paragraphs about regional practices and lifestyle. Our goal is to highlight everyday aspects of potential destinations from a prehospital provider’s point of view.

Maine Snapshot

• Link to state EMS website
• National Registry: Required at all levels for initial licensure
• Average straight-time wages: EMT $14/hour, paramedic $24.50¹
• State area: 35,385 square miles  
• Approximate state population: 1,344,000
  • Rank (↓): 42
  • Change since 2010: +1%
• Most populous cities (approximate): Portland 67,000, Lewiston 36,000, Bangor 32,000
• Violent crime one-year change: N/A² 
• State violent crime rank (↑): 1³
• State property crime rank (↑): 4³
• Health rank (↓): 16⁴
• Average temperatures: Summer 64ºF, Winter 17ºF⁵
• Top state income tax: 7.15%⁶
• Average sales tax: 5.5%⁶
• Average property tax: 1.24%⁶
• Median home value: $244,400⁷
  • One-year change: +5%⁷
• Median monthly rent: $1,750⁷
• Average cost of electricity: $0.18/kwh⁸
• Cost of living index: 116.6 (U.S. average = 100)⁹
• Unemployment: 2.9% (U.S. average = 3.5%)¹⁰
• Best states rank (↓): 32¹¹
• Approximate annual retirement cost per household: $72,600¹²

Supersize That Seafood Snack

As a native Bostonian I’ve been to Maine more times than Boot, the dog, appeared on Emergency! (eight). Reasons for my visits varied, but if I had to pick one word to clarify my fondness for our 23rd state, it would be lobster. If you’re a fan of that appetizing arthropod, imagine a place where even McDonald’s has lobster on the menu! I swear it’s true.

I could go on about the wonderfulness of Maine cuisine—about the lobster shacks you pass every few minutes along coastal highways and the ridiculously fresh ocean fare you can enjoy at most of them without reservations, pricey menus, or formal footwear—but I’m supposed to be thinking about treating patients, not eating crustaceans. I need a moment to stop imagining sweet, buttery lobster meat and focus on other things about Maine.

More Maine, Less Lobster

Maine’s nickname, the Pine Tree State, says a lot about what to expect when you’re away from its few metropolitan areas. About 90% of Maine is forested—more than any other state. That’s one reason hunting, hiking, and camping are such popular activities.

Here are some other fun facts about Maine:

• Despite its deceptive placement on world maps, Maine isn’t the easternmost state in the U.S. That distinction belongs to Alaska, whose Aleutian Islands straddle the 180th meridian. I’d save that nugget for a bar bet if I were you.
• Maine is the only state to border exactly one other (New Hampshire).
• Lobster rolls have less than 350 calories if you go easy on the butter and mayonnaise.
• French is spoken in more Maine households than Louisiana households. Incroyable, non?
• You could drive 2,369 miles on U.S. 1 from Fort Kent, on the Maine-New Brunswick border, to Key West. Or you could fly.
• People who live in Maine are called “Mainers,” not “lobster eaters.”
• Maine has 230 miles of coastline, or 3,478 miles if you include all the nooks and crannies. Nooks and crannies sound like words invented in Maine, don’t they?
• Maine has the nation’s second-largest senior population. Yup, it’s the lobster.

New England’s only national park, Arcadia, is in Maine. It’s worth a visit if you enjoy small-town shopping or would like to explore the state’s distinctive rocky coast. Most of the beaches I saw were more for walking than swimming.

Unless you’re a Mainer, you probably haven’t heard of unorganized territory. That’s what almost half of Maine is called. Those regions have no municipal government but consist of townships and tiny coastal islands. The population density of Maine’s unorganized territories is a little more than half-a-person per square mile. Knowing which half makes it easier to anticipate chief complaints.

Maine EMS

Speaking of complaints, I have none about the data available on Maine’s EMS website. It rocks. Let me share some 2018 highlights with you:

• The busiest EMS agencies were Northeast Mobile Health Services, Delta Ambulance, United Ambulance Service, and Northern Light Medical Transport.
• Of 5,557 licensed EMS providers, 2,614 were EMTs, 890 were AEMTs, and 1,408 were paramedics. About a third of those were female.
• The average age was 38 for EMTs and 42 for ALS providers. They could all be my children.
• Sixty percent of Maine EMS is fire-based.
• There were roughly 278,000 EMS calls in 2018. Six percent were pediatric.
• Twenty-five percent of state agencies answered fewer than 50 calls, and 52% had fewer than 250. Imagine having more lobsters than patients.

National registry is required for initial licensure at all levels. Providers must renew through the NREMT or accumulate the following CME: 52 hours for EMTs, 56 hours for AEMTs, and 72 hours for paramedics.

Memo to medics: Surgical crics are permitted, but not with lobster forks.

References

1. EMS World. EMS World Salary Survey 2018, www.ems-stats.com.

2. FBI. Uniform Crime Reporting System, 2018 National Incident Based Reporting System, https://ucr.fbi.gov/.

3. Public Safety Rankings, www.usnews.com/.

4. America’s Health Rankings, United Health Foundation. 2018 Annual Report, www.americashealthrankings.org/learn/reports/2018-annual-report.

5. Current Results. Average Annual Temperature for Each U.S. State, www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/average-annual-state-temperatures.php.

6. Tax Foundation Facts and figures 2019, https://files.taxfoundation.org/.

7. Zillow. United States Home Prices & Values, www.zillow.com/home-values/.

8. Choose Energy. Electricity Rates by State, www.chooseenergy.com/electricity-rates-by-state/.

9. Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Cost of Living Data Series, 2019, https://meric.mo.gov/data/cost-living-data-series.

10. State Unemployment Rate in the U.S. The Content Marketing Trend Study, 2019, www.statista.com/statistics/2000017/state-unemployment-rate-in-the-us/.

11. Best States 2019: Ranking Performance Throughout All 50 States. U.S. News & World Report. 2019.

12. Hill C. This is exactly how much it will cost to retire well in every state in America. Market Watch, 2019 Jun 28; www.marketwatch.com.

Mike Rubin is a paramedic in Nashville and a member of EMS World’s editorial advisory board. Contact him at mgr22@prodigy.net.