Ambulance fees going up for non-residents

The cost for ambulance response by the

Whitefish Fire Department is going up for non-residents. Whitefish

City Council adopted a resolution approving the rate hike at their

Dec. 5 meeting.

Fire Chief Tom Kennelly noted in his

report to council that while both those in the city and

non-residents benefit from EMS services, the burden of costs “have

fallen squarely on city taxpayers.” His study concludes that

non-residents place a two-to-one response demand on requests for

ambulance service.

“This has been a problem for a while

and nobody has recognized it before,” Kennelly said.

Ambulance operations are funded through

a variety of revenue streams, including service fees and city

property taxes. The 2012 city budget estimates ambulance service

fee revenue at $810,000. More than $1 million in ambulance service

fees is needed annually to support the ambulance fund. The $237,000

shortfall is balanced by a transfer from the city’s general

fund.

Costs associated with ambulance service

that city residents pay for include four fully equipped advanced

life support ambulances. Each rescue vehicle costs about $200,000.

Other basic infrastructure needed for availability includes

$497,000 in staff salary and benefits, along with costs of

insurance, administrative expenses, dispatch and other supplies and

training.

“The infrastructure is paid for by city

residents,” Kennelly explained.

The new rate structure will provide

some fairness to city taxpayers, he said. Non-residents will pay

$200 more per service than those within the city. The increase is

estimated to bring in $54,419 of additional revenue for fiscal year

2012.

Fees for non-residents were increased

to $900 for basic life support and between $1,030 and $1,300 for

advanced life support. The per mile charge was increased to $20 as

well. The rates are comparable to other nearby cities. Bigfork

charges $800 for BLS and between $950 and $1,200 for ALS. Kalispell

charges $700 for BLS and between $750-$850 for ALS. Evergreen

charges $630 for BLS and between $750 and $850 for ALS.

The fire department will use a person’s

address to determine if they are a city resident, Kennelly said.

City landowners will be charged the lower city fees, as will

out-of-town visitors who are staying with city residents.

At the council meeting councilor Phil

Mitchell askED Kennelly if he had looked at personnel cuts to fix

the ambulance fee shortfall. Kennelly said that if personnel is

cut, overtime costs will likely go up.

Kennelly said in his report that he is

often asked why a fire truck always responds with an ambulance on

emergency calls. He explained that all firefighters in the

Whitefish department are cross-trained with EMS skills. The

combined response of a fire truck and ambulance provides the

additional personnel necessary to safely and efficiently deal with

an emergency scenario. Heavy lifting is often required and tasks

can be labor intensive.

Councilor Turner Askew and John

Muhlfeld said they would like to make the Rescue Care insurance

program readily available to non-residents. Rescue Care is a $59

program that provides payment coverage for ambulance service. The

membership fee is paid annually. The next time to sign up will be

this summer.

• Council approved at the Dec. 5

meeting the establishment of a $50 encroachment permit fee.

• Unanimously approved updated rules

and regulations for water, wastewater and garbage utility.