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Sierra Madre approves new EMS fees and revamped paramedic subscription plan effective March 1
Summary
After a public hearing, the City Council approved fee schedule changes for fire/EMS: ePCR and dispatch pass-through fees, a first-responder fee for engine-only ALS responses, and redesigned subscription options. Staff estimates about $150,000 in additional annual cost recovery; implementation begins March 1, 2025.
The Sierra Madre City Council voted Feb. 11 to adopt fee schedule adjustments proposed by the Fire Department, changes city staff said will recover rising operational costs for emergency medical services and broaden a paramedic subscription program intended to reduce residents' out-of-pocket transport charges.
Sierra Madre EMS Captain Kevin Bustillos told the council the city's vendors and dispatch partners charge per-incident costs that the city currently subsidizes. He proposed three fees to be added to the municipal fee schedule at cost of service: an electronic patient care report (ePCR) fee of $4.95 per completed report, a dispatch fee of $84.18 per dispatch (Verdugo Communications), and a first-responder engine-only fee of $189 for calls where the city's ALS engine treats but a separate agency transports the patient.
Bustillos said the ePCR fee is the vendor's per-report charge for the…
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