Suisun City Municipal Code Ch. 9.32 Emergency Medical Services First Responder Fee

The purpose of these provisions is to allow for the collection of fees to cover the costs the fire department incurs in providing emergency medical services to both city residents and nonresidents.

(Ord. No. 785, § 2, 7-6-2021)

A. "Fire chief" has the same meaning as Section 15.04.020.H, and shall include his or her designee.

B. "First responder" includes firefighter paramedics and firefighter EMTs (emergency medical technicians) in the Suisun City Fire Department.

C. "Fire department" means the Suisun City Fire Department.

D. "First responder fee" means the fee established pursuant to this chapter and charged to each recipient to recover the costs for providing the services.

E. "Insurer" means the recipient's medical insurance provider.

F. "Recipient" means the person who receives services.

G. "Services" means pre-hospital emergency medical services.

(Ord. No. 785, § 2, 7-6-2021)

A. Fee Amount Established. The city council shall, by resolution, adopt and amend from time to time a first responder fee to recover the actual and reasonable costs incurred by the fire department in providing emergency medical services and processing the first responder fee, including administrative and enforcement costs.

B. Fee Applies to All. The first responder fee shall be charged to any recipient, whether a city resident or nonresident.

(Ord. No. 785, § 2, 7-6-2021)

A. Payment and Waiver Policies.

1. The fire chief will develop policies and procedures for invoicing, billing, and receiving payments for each fee charged under this chapter and will coordinate the administration with any contracted third party service provider, if applicable. The policies and procedures will include a process to discharge from accountability accounts that are not collectible.

2. The fire chief shall establish a compassionate billing policy. Such policy may include payment plans, and a waiver of the first responder fee for uninsured patients.

3. The city shall accept the payment, if any, from the insurer as the full payment for the recipient's first responder fee obligation and the city shall not require the recipient to pay for any portion of the first responder fee not paid by the insurer.

B. Administration of the Fee. The fire chief may delegate all or some of the tasks required for the administration of the first responder fee. Administration of the first responder fee will consist of tasks including, but not limited to, tracking of services, identification of financially responsible parties, calculation of total fees to be charged, invoicing and payment collection, and the processing of waiver request and appeals, if permitted. The city manager may approve delegating the administration of the first responder fee to a contracted third party vendor.

C. Invoicing. When the fire department provides services to a recipient, the city, or its designee, shall bill the recipient and the insurer, if any, for payment of the first responder fee. In the case of a minor, the city, or its designee, shall bill the parent or guardian of the recipient and the insurer, if any.

(Ord. No. 785, § 2, 7-6-2021)

This chapter neither expands not limits services. Nothing in this chapter relieves the fire department of providing services. The services will continue to be provided without regard to whether a person is insured by an insurer, has the ability to pay the first responder fee, or whether the recipient has paid a first responder fee in the past.

(Ord. No. 785, § 2, 7-6-2021)

This chapter does not preclude the city or the fire department from recovering its emergency response costs in any other manner authorized by law.

(Ord. No. 785, § 2, 7-6-2021)

Any person wishing to contest an invoice regarding the first responder fee imposed under this chapter may do so pursuant to the provisions of Section 15.04.310.

(Ord. No. 785, § 2, 7-6-2021)