REDDING, Calif. — The Redding Fire Department has begun retroactive billing of residents $489 for non-emergency 911 lift assist calls, the fire department reminded the public on Aug. 4.
Bills have been issued for applicable calls retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025
The city council approved the fee in 2023 and is currently applying it to lift assist calls, but will eventually extend it to all EMS calls handled by the fire department, KRCR reported.
Lift assists are calls for help when someone has fallen and can’t get up, but isn’t facing a life-threatening emergency. The Redding Fire Department says it responds to about 1,200 of these calls each year — more than three per day on average.
Though low in acuity, these incidents are still important to the people involved. However, due to insurance restrictions and staffing models, local ambulance services typically do not respond to them, leaving the responsibility to fire crews.
| Read next: A $500 fee and a 60% drop: How one department tackled its lift assist crisis
Officials say the new fees for lift assists will help recoup costs, with the revenue reinvested into the department’s budget.
Fee waiver requests are welcome, and the fire chief may waive or reduce the fee in special cases. Community members can submit a written request for review.
“We’re not here to penalize anyone,” Fire Chief Jerrod Vanlandingham said. “We’re here to protect lives, and we need the community’s help to make sure we can keep doing that as effectively as possible.”
Is a lift assist fee a fair way to manage call volume and funding—or could it deter people from seeking help when they need it? Share your thoughts below.
FireRescue1 readers respond:
- “I disagree with the fee for every lift assist. Moreover, it sounds as if the department will begin charging the fee for all responses. Every department has resource issues, but this policy will likely target the most vulnerable. Consider a policy for frequent fliers, but not a blanket 911 tax.”
- “Absolutely NOT! The taxpaying public already pays for the services the fire department provides.”
- “I do not agree with this. Yes, I know it costs money to run calls, but we are here to serve, not charge for what people already pay taxes for. Do these civic “leaders” actually think this will put the FD in the residents’ good graces? Hardly. More likely, it will just further alienate them from the community they serve.”
- “It is fair. Too many times, EMS relies on the FD to either cover these or assist their crew. EMS bills and collects for the call, and the FD gets nothing (at least in PA!) There needs to be a better system.”
- “‘We’re not here to penalize anyone.’” Yes, yes, you are, Chief. You’ve effectively moved the mission of your department from serving the community to charging them for anything they need except for fire suppression. You know the health insurance industry will not pay for this charge, so where does it end? What aren’t you going to charge for? Are you going to charge for an engine company crew to do CPR and follow the Medics to the hospital? Let’s see...$20 per stroke of CPR equals.... I will tell you what happens next: That elderly person who got a whopping $500 charge last time won’t call for help next time, and they will lie there until they die, because they cannot afford another $500 bill. Nice move. Let’s isolate ourselves even further from the citizens we serve.”
- “I have been in fire rescue for 40 years, and this is not right. Oftentimes, the taxpayer as an individual has no other resource to resolve the issue, and charging them a fee is wrong. I think it would be OK, and we have tried it in various departments, to charge personal care homes that fail to serve their residents. If we charge people who pay taxes, rest assured, you will find those who are injured and don’t call because of the fee. For those may / few calls, I would suggest they simply mark it off as community service, do a patient assessment, and ensure the caller is good. Maybe go one further and involve family or social services to get them support so it does not look like another money grab.”
