Westfield fire chief outlines rising EMS runs to care facilities and plans for ordinance to charge fees for certain nonemergency calls

Rob Gaylor, Westfield Fire Department chief, reported to the Board of Public Works and Safety on Feb. 26 that the department saw an increase in call volume in January 2025 compared with the same month last year and outlined next steps to address repeated nonemergency responses to long-term care facilities.

Gaylor told the board the department recorded 452 calls for January 2025, compared with 443 in January 2024; the split remained roughly two-thirds medical and one-third fire. He reported an average district response time of about 6 minutes and an average turnout time of one minute and 13 seconds. The department placed a new ladder company (Ladder 84) into service in January; that unit responded to 89 calls in January, the chief said. Gaylor also reported a decline in calls to certain health-care facilities compared with 2024 but said calls to care facilities still account for a notable share of EMS workload.

Gaylor said the department is preparing proposed language for an ordinance that would allow the city to charge a fee to certain long-term care facilities for responses that are not emergency treatment incidents — for example, calls to pick up or assist a person who is not injured but requires lifting or handling that the facility cannot safely provide. He said the language is still under development and staff are working on terminology to avoid subjective phrases such as “nuisance run.” City staff and counsel have been drafting the ordinance language and discussing similar approaches used by other jurisdictions, Gaylor said. No formal ordinance was introduced or adopted at the meeting; the item remains staff work in progress.

Gaylor also noted related operational steps: the department’s community paramedic, Walter Rippey, began in February and will meet with facility managers to improve education and repeated on-site training; the department plans targeted outreach to reduce repeat calls where appropriate. Board members and staff discussed the sensitivity of imposing charges on health-care providers, and the mayor said the measure is intended to reduce taxpayer burden where facilities can reasonably handle nonemergency lift/assist situations.

The chief also answered questions about mutual-aid activity and reporting: the department received EMS aid 13 times and rendered aid 16 times in January; it received fire aid three times and gave aid 10 times. Gaylor said some reporting entries contained typographical errors in the draft report and that staff would correct those items in the final minutes. The board requested that staff return with final ordinance language for review before any action.

Ending: The board accepted the department report; members requested the ordinance language and supporting data be brought back for formal consideration at a future meeting.