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Radford council adopts ordinance to bill insurers for fire and EMS responses
Summary
Council adopted ordinance 18-33 to enable recovery of eligible emergency-response costs from insurance carriers; staff emphasized residents will not be billed directly and said similar programs are used in nearby municipalities.
Radford City Council voted to adopt ordinance 18-33 to establish a program that allows the city to recover eligible costs for emergency fire and emergency medical services from insurance carriers.
Todd (city staff) told the council the program is designed so residents are not billed directly for covered services; instead the city’s billing goes to an insurance carrier. He said other New River Valley localities use the same vendor, Fire Recovery USA.
Council members sought reassurance that the change would not deter people from calling 911 for emergencies. One member said, “If the folks in our community have an emergency that they know to dial 911 and get the services that they need” and that the ordinance is not intended to bill residents directly.
The ordinance was adopted by voice vote. Staff and council said the program will help the city try to recover costs that might otherwise be absorbed by municipal budgets, although the ultimate success will depend on insurance collections.
