Rockland — Emergency medical staff from around Knox County were receiving their first dose of the Moderna vaccine on New Year's Eve at the Flanagan Community Center in Rockland.

Rockland and Union emergency medical services crews were administering the vaccine to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Rockland Fire Chief Christopher Whytock said the initial plan was to have separate vaccination drives at Union and Rockland, but agreed it would be more efficient to have a single location.

There are 140 licensed emergency medical technicians in Knox County, although some work in other counties and may be vaccinated in those counties, the chief said.

The Rockland vaccination drive will be from Dec. 31 to Jan. 2. Next week, the drive will be on Vinalhaven, where EMS workers from Vinalhaven and North Haven will get their shots.

The chief said he expects 120 doses will be administered by the end of next week.

Then, in 28 days, the second round of the Moderna vaccine shots will be given to the same people.

The next phase will be to vaccinate other public safety workers, and then the general public. He said there is uncertainty on when the general public will be vaccinated, but he has been told both March or May.

People who receive the vaccine are required to remain at the clinic site for 15 minutes or 30 minutes if the person has ever had an allergic reaction to other vaccines.

At the Dec. 31 vaccine drive was Rotary District Governor-Elect Doug Curtis of Rockland.

Curtis said Rotary has made it a goal to raise $25,000 throughout the state to help local emergency medical services departments pay for any expenses incurred in the vaccinations.

The only expense Rockland has incurred thus far is the purchase of a refrigerator to store the vaccine. Chief Whytock said the city got a very good deal on a refrigerator from The Home Depot. The department already had iPads to keep track of who has received the vaccinations, so that was not an additional expense, he noted.

The only other expense was overtime costs for Rockland EMS. He said money from the federal CARES Act may help in reimbursing expenses as well.