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Waterford adopts ordinance to bill elder-care facilities for excessive non-emergency calls
Summary
The Waterford Township Board adopted Ordinance 2026‑001 to recover costs from elder‑care facilities that generate excessive non‑emergency responses, paired with an updated fee schedule that sets a $550 non‑emergency response charge. The measure passed unanimously after the Fire Chief described operational impacts.
The Charter Township of Waterford Board of Trustees on Jan. 26 adopted Ordinance 2026‑001, creating a Non‑Emergency Cost Recovery Division in Chapter 14 to recover expenses when elder‑care facilities request repeated non‑emergency responses from the Waterford Regional Fire Department.
The ordinance, introduced by Director of Development Services Jeffrey Polkowski and adopted unanimously, defines ‘‘elder care facility’’ and ‘‘false alarm,’’ establishes a threshold of five or more non‑emergency requests or false personal‑alarm activations in a calendar year to trigger invoicing, and authorizes the township to invoice the responsible legal entity. If unpaid, the ordinance permits interest, legal collection and, after 60 days, placing the unpaid charges as a lien against the facility’s real property. The ordinance also creates an appeal process and permits the Fire Chief or designee to waive fees in appropriate circumstances.
Fire Chief Matthew Nye provided operational context in support of the ordinance, saying the department responded to more than 17,000 calls in 2025 (about 10,500 within Waterford Township) and that non‑emergency responses originating at elder‑care and similar facilities have grown to roughly one‑third of township call volume. He told the Board that the department reaches an ‘‘ALS ZERO’’ status — when all advanced life support ambulances are committed — about 100 times per year, meaning mutual‑aid responses are required for simultaneous high‑acuity calls. "This ordinance is a measured option to encourage corrective action, appropriate staffing and responsible use of emergency services," Nye said.
In the same meeting the Board adopted an updated Emergency and Non‑Emergency Cost Recovery Fee Schedule that sets a $550 charge for a non‑emergency response tied to Ordinance 2026‑001. The fee schedule also raised recommended apparatus hourly charges and EMS transport rates to better reflect current operational costs (for example, recommended Basic Life Support from $375 to $550 and Advanced Life Support from $600 to $900). The schedule allows the Township discretion to waive or reduce charges and includes a process to offset other payments when calculating final liability.
The ordinance requires facilities receiving two or more invoices for excessive non‑emergency responses in a year to submit a corrective action plan to the Fire Department describing steps to prevent future excessive requests. The Board recorded the adoption by roll‑call vote; the motion to adopt Ordinance 2026‑001 was moved by Trustee Jeff Gilbert and seconded by Trustee Marie E. Hauswirth and carried unanimously.
The ordinance takes effect upon publication. The Township’s materials state resident calls will not be billed and that invoicing targets the responsible legal entity that owns or operates the facility.
