Ambulance Fee Hike Gets Preliminary OK

Preliminary approval has been given to raise an enrollment fee for a city paramedic and ambulance program to $36. The annual fee of $26 has not been increased since its inception in 1987.

Officials say the $10 fee hike would allow the Fire Department to improve its paramedic service and buy and staff a new ambulance, precluding the need to use private ambulance services.

Under the voluntary program, renamed “FireMed,” subscribers pay the annual fee to save the substantially higher cost of an ambulance trip if they need one during the year. About 4,300 people are enrolled.

Officials said residents who have full medical insurance should not pay the fee because their insurance companies would foot the ambulance transportation bills.