Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Ems topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor urges residents to call 911 after delays tied to volunteer EMT group; council advances EMS equipment fund to finance committee
Summary
City officials told residents to call 911 after volunteer group Hatzalah Cleveland allegedly discouraged 911 use; council voted to send an ordinance creating an EMS vehicle acquisition fund to the finance committee and discussed ambulance-billing revenue and collection practices.
Mayor (role: Mayor) told the University Heights City Council on April 21 that four neighboring cities have raised formal safety concerns about Hatzalah Cleveland, a volunteer emergency medical service organization, and asked residents to call 911 first in any medical emergency.
The mayor said Hatzalah Cleveland “has been encouraging residents to call them instead of 911,” and that the University Heights Fire Department has recorded at least 30 incidents in which delayed 911 notification led to response delays “typically being 5 to 20 minutes, but sometimes up to 30 minutes or more.” The mayor said the cities copied medical and state authorities in a written letter to Hatzalah’s medical director and urged the group to meet to discuss a memorandum of understanding.
Why it matters: City officials said delayed 911 calls can slow deployment of the full emergency-response system and risk patient outcomes. The issue prompted a broader council discussion about how the city funds and bills for emergency medical services and a referral of a proposed EMS vehicle acquisition fund to the finance committee.
Director Kennedy, the city finance director, described a proposal to create a capital project fund for EMS equipment. Kennedy said the city’s ambulance-billing administrator, LifeForce, currently yields “give or take, about $400,000 each year,” and the ordinance would direct 12% of monthly ambulance-billing revenue into the new fund, capped at $50,000 annually to start. “That will give the chief some basis to at least begin accumulating resources for those longer term needs,” Kennedy said.
Council members and staff also discussed rate schedules, collection practices and whether a third-party billing administrator could increase recoveries from insurers or state programs. Chief Perko and Chief Berkel, representing the fire department, said the goal was not to increase direct bills to residents but to update the fee schedule and collection approach so the city captures available reimbursement.
Council action: A motion to send the EMS vehicle acquisition fund proposal to the finance committee passed on a roll call (King: aye; Sachs: nay; Cooney: aye; Wise: aye; Rot: aye; Marshall: aye; Weiser: aye). The council did not adopt final funding changes tonight; the measure will be reviewed by the finance committee.
Council members asked the administration to return with more details on: how LifeForce charges and performs collections; whether the city’s billing language matches current Medicare and Medicaid rules; and how the proposed fund would interact with other capital needs across departments.
The mayor reiterated emergency guidance for residents: “In the event of an emergency, call 911. You, of course, may call Hatzalah Cleveland after you’ve called 911,” and noted mutual aid agreements exist among the four cities. The administration said it will continue to press Hatzalah Cleveland for a meeting and take further action if necessary to protect public safety.
The city will address related ordinance language and billing-schedule updates in committee and return to council with recommended next steps.
