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Middleton resident: ambulance fee increases risk deterring 911 calls
Summary
Resident Bartlett Durand told the council that a participant in his first‑aid class said they would hesitate to call 911 because of cost; Durand said he found a recent council-approved increase in ambulance fees and urged the city to consider alternatives to charging for life‑threatening responses.
MIDDLETON, Wis. — During public comment at the Dec. 16 Middleton Common Council meeting, resident Bartlett Durand raised concern that recent increases to ambulance charges could make people hesitate to call 911 in life‑threatening situations.
Durand, who said he runs a nonprofit wilderness first‑aid training course, recounted teaching students when a participant asked whether it might be better to delay calling 911 because of cost. He said he was alarmed by that reaction and told attendees, 'Do call them.'
Durand also said he read in a local paper that the council had recently approved an increase in ambulance rates; he gave approximate amounts from his recollection, saying, 'I think it's, like, $2,000 and $500 if they show up for a call.' Those figures were provided as the speaker’s recollection and were described as approximate in the meeting.
Durand urged the council to consider whether the city can afford to provide ambulance service without placing cost decisions on residents in emergency situations and to examine how insurance or other payment systems interact with emergency medical responses. No staff or council member provided a detailed response or a policy clarification during his allotted comment time.
Durand concluded by thanking first responders and urging the city to prioritize access to emergency care.
