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Streator staff outline plan to bill assisted‑living facilities for lift‑assist calls under new state law
Summary
City staff and the fire chief briefed council on preparing to bill assisted‑living and nursing facilities for repeated lift‑assist calls once a state statute takes effect Jan. 1; staff will return with ordinance language and a vehicle‑cost calculation.
City fire officials and the city attorney discussed a new state statute that will take effect Jan. 1 allowing municipalities to bill assisted‑living and nursing facilities for lift‑assist calls after the sixth call in a year. The council heard that assisted‑living facilities across the area now rely on 911 for residents who have fallen and that those calls consume considerable emergency resources.
Fire Department staff told council the principal open question is how to calculate the vehicle charge to include with personnel costs; one statutory reference cites a $250 vehicle charge while FEMA reimbursement rates offer different hourly calculations. The department reported it averages about 10 lift‑assist calls per month from assisted‑living and nursing facilities.
Council members asked staff to draft an ordinance and to determine whether to use the statutory vehicle figure or an alternative method (FEMA rate plus personnel). Staff said they will return with proposed ordinance language and budget calculations before beginning billing.
