By Brittany Morehouse
WUSA9
BETHESDA, Md. — A bright billboard commands attention in front of the Bethesda Chevy Chase Volunteer Fire Station at the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Battery Lane.
“Vote Against Question A,” it blinks in red and black lettering.
The hot topic issue of ambulance fees is the first question on the Montgomery County ballot, symbolizing its prominence in among Montgomery County government workers, especially emergency crews. The issue has pitted career firefighters against volunteers and even led to a court ruling.
On Monday, a judge ruled against volunteer firefighters who filed an emergency challenge to government campaign tactics for Question A. The Montgomery County Volunteer Fire-Rescue Association sued to block the county from deploying uniformed county workers to push their message.
Montgomery Circuit Court Judge Robert Greenburg decided the group did not meet the deadline for filing but noted that the county’s government flier “is not an attempt to do anything other than, in some ways, frankly intimidate people and get them to vote for the ambulance fee.”
“The judge I think was quite skeptical by the county’s activities,” said John T. Bentivoglio, who is both a volunteer firefighter and the group’s attorney. “He noted that some voters might actually be turned off by the tactics of using on duty uniformed officers to wage a political campaign.”
Meanwhile, Fire Chief Richard Bowers and fellow firefighters held a press conference Monday morning to dispel the myths about the ambulance fee.
“It is not a tax,” said Bowers. “It is not a fee and no county resident will ever pay a dime or get a bill. It is a revenue stream.”
A revenue stream that would come from insurance companies roughly to the tune of $14 million. People who don’t have insurance will not have to pay a fee if they call 911.
“The unfortunate impact is without the the EMS transport fee is the potential for 89 career firefighters and paramedics to be laid off in addition 11 ems units to be destaffed,” he said.
Republished with permission from WUSA9.