Redlands Might Start Charging Nonresidents For Emergency Services

REDLANDS, CA -- The Redlands City Council has approved an ordinance under which non-residents could be charged for receiving emergency medical services.

The Council, which approved the measure on a unanimous vote during its Dec. 3 meeting, said the effort is an attempt to make the city's fees more equitable, according to a report in the San Bernardino Sun.

The fees are proposed at $514 for an engine/truck response and $380 for a paramedic squad response.

The reason behind the proposal is that the city loses money when providing paramedic call services. In its 2019-2020 budget, the City of Redlands projected a shortfall in the paramedic fund, requiring a $4.1 million transfer from the general fund to balance the books, slightly more than the previous two years, according to the Sun.

During the Dec. 3 meeting, Fire Chief Nathan Cooke told the Council “it is imperative that things remain fair and equitable for both nonresidents and residents alike pertaining to the costs associated to providing EMS services.”

Redlands' paramedic services come in part from the city’s general fund, and are also partially paid for by a municipal tax that's annually assessed to Redlands property owners.

Of the 8,600 or so emergency medical service calls it fields each year, the department estimates about 1,500 would fall into the nonresident category.

A final vote on whether to institute the fee policy is expected to come before the Council at a future meeting, with the exact one still to be determined.