Board introduces ordinance to raise County Fire, EMS and CSA 17 fees; public commenters warn of burden on residents and businesses

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on April 22 voted to introduce an ordinance revising fees for County Fire, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Office and County Service Area (CSA) 17. The changes were presented by County Fire leadership and staff and include adjustments to fire marshal fees, EMS credentialing and ambulance transport rates for CSA 17.

Why it matters: Staff said the fee updates are intended to reflect current labor and operational costs, improve cost-recovery compliance with board policy and ensure the financial sustainability of ambulance services in CSA 17, which serves several coastal and unincorporated communities. Public commenters said the increases could be steep for residents and small businesses.

What staff presented

Jeff Collins, Director of County Fire, explained that fire marshal fees and inspection rates have not been revised since February 2021 and that negotiated labor-cost increases and updated staff time estimates justify changes. Staff proposed new hourly and stand-by rates for special-event staffing and recommended charging businesses for previously free inspections on a prorated-hourly basis.

For EMS, the presentation described the second year of a three-year phased fee increase that better aligns credentialing, ambulance permitting and hospital specialty designation fees with the staff time…