As the closure of Interstate 295's southbound lanes looms, emergency service crews are preparing for a summer when the most direct route will not be a possibility.

"All we can do is anticipate what the impact will be," Kennebec Valley EMS Regional Director Rick Petrie said.

Traffic along the U.S. Route 201 corridor, as well as other I-295 detours, is expected to increase June 16, when the interstate's southbound lanes are closed for repairs.

Petrie said the regional EMS office has notified all local emergency service departments and first responders of the closure, warning them to be mindful of its effect on the time it takes to transport patients by ambulance.

"Those departments (in the Route 201 corridor) have talked through the different scenarios," Petrie said.

Meg Lane, a Maine Department of Transportation spokeswoman, said agency officials regularly met with fire departments and first responders, particularly in Gardiner, to discuss how the closure could affect transporting patients.

Several rescue officials said they feel the closure may present some minor challenges in emergency situations, but that they are well prepared to handle the situation.

"Is it a big deal? Probably not," said Lt. Sean Goodwin of the Augusta Fire Department. "But for incidents, we will have to weigh the situation out, like if we're able to transport them by ground or if we need the (LifeFlight) helicopter, depending on the location and the patient."

Richmond Fire Chief Andy Pierce said his department will not change protocol when it comes to responding to accidents, but that crews may be going to accidents in "greater volumes" because of the expected traffic increase.

Tom Judge, executive director for LifeFlight, said he feels a rise in vehicle accidents is inevitable this summer, partly because of the closure.

But he said he does not believe a higher number of accidents will correlate automatically to the use of medical helicopters.

Judge did not rule out the possibility of LifeFlight being used as it currently is, such as when a critically injured patient needs emergency services and ground transport is not an option, but isn't counting on it happening frequently.

"I don't expect that to happen in huge numbers," he said, but added LifeFlight services will continue to "do whatever will be necessary when we're needed."

LifeFlight is dispatched, on average, 120 times a month, Judge said, with 35 percent of trips made directly from an emergency scene, "dominantly from car accidents."

The remaining 65 percent of LifeFlight's calls are transporting intensive-care patients from hospital to hospital.

"We need to keep LifeFlight based on patient need," Petrie said. "We would not want it tied up with a patient who is noncritical."

All rescue officials urged drivers to slow down and drive carefully should they chose to commute on U.S. Route 201.

Lane said another solution to prevent accidents on the narrow route would be to take the Maine Turnpike.

"I think everyone has a handle on it," Goodwin said of the pending shutdown. "Our crews are competent and have been doing this for a while."

Meghan V. Malloy -- 623-3811 Ext. 431

mmalloy@centralmaine.com