Chief Bridal Alcar (Lafayette Fire Chief, name as provided in transcript) presented an ordinance to establish fees for non-emergency lift assists and similar non-emergency responses at licensed residential care and assisted‑living facilities. Staff said many lift assists are not emergencies and that facilities sometimes request fire personnel rather than using on‑site staff or equipment.

Chief Bridal Alcar said the city has made outreach efforts and that other Indiana communities (Westfield and Greenwood) recently adopted similar ordinances. He said the intent is deterrence and to reduce injury risk to firefighters and wear‑and‑tear on apparatus, and that the ordinance would charge a fee for non‑emergency responses to such facilities.

Council discussion was robust. Council members and members of the public questioned the fee scale and who ultimately pays. One councilor asked whether the $500 fee for repeat calls (first three responses set at $500 in the draft) was excessive; commenters warned the cost could be passed to residents who are often on fixed incomes and that some assisted‑living operators already have limited staffing. The fire chief and other councilors said the fee is intended to push facilities to hire staff or buy equipment to handle non‑emergencies and that the department will continue to respond to true emergencies without fees.

Public commenters with experience in veterans’ and residential care urged a lower initial fee or a graduated approach; one speaker suggested starting at $250. Staff described the fee primarily as a deterrent and noted that ambulance services and other departments sometimes bill separately for responses.

Council approved the ordinance on a roll-call vote, 6 in favor and 2 opposed, and the ordinance was recorded as passed 6-2. Staff said they will continue outreach and education to the facilities about equipment and staffing options and will monitor whether the fee changes behavior.