If you've ever had to foot a medical bill before, you know how expensive it can be. There's a chance that if you need an ambulance in Sparks, you could be looking at paying even more.
We shared a post on Facebook about the announcement of a proposed First Responder Fee, and there were about 70 comments from people saying they did not want to pay a fee. We spoke with some people in person who shared the same sentiment.
"I absolutely hate it. I think it's a terrible idea and I do not support it," said Robert, who is a Sparks resident.
The First Responder Fee would be $527.Â
Many online are saying they may opt for an Uber ride to the hospital instead of calling 911.
"I think it's going to prevent people from contacting emergency services, maybe when they actually do need it, trying to save some money," Robert said. "I think people are going to avoid it, and there are going to be people out there who may suffer worse consequences for it."
Sparks Fire Chief Walt White says evidence from other departments that've adopted something similar says it has not reduced calls.
He stresses the fee would only be charged for people when SFD is the first responding emergency medical services agency, then gives lifesaving treatment, and then the person is transported by another agency that is not Sparks Fire.
The fee is meant to cover the care you receive until the ambulance gets there.
People would be billed through their insurance.
So, how did we get here? Simply put, they need more help with funding since adding more medical services over the past decade.
"There's been training costs, incentive pay, and we had to purchase additional equipment so that we can provide the highest level of pre-hospital service possible," Chief White said.
Last year, SFD responded to 17,000 calls and made about 1,000 transports.
Starting in 2016, Sparks Fire started to elevate its EMS care.
Most of the department's firefighters are licensed paramedics.
However, with the specialized training and equipment, it gets quite expensive.
The agency had an independent contractor come in to look at ways they could better utilize and get more funding.
"What has been proposed is the amount you see in that fee," White said. "However, council has the authority to adopt that, adopt less than that, or not adopt it at all."
We've also seen plenty of people asking about what their taxes go towards.
70 percent of the general fund currently goes towards police and fire services.
Property taxes are a part of that general fund pool, along with C-Tax.
However, those property tax increases for homes are not based on property value. They are capped at three percent a year.
The city says it's not generating as much revenue as it would like.
Sparks Fire says that's why they believe this cost recovery program will go a long way.
"If it's not adopted, the city government will just have less funds to operate on," Chief White said.
White says not passing the fee could also lead to more reductions and cuts.
The City of Sparks wants to hear your feedback.
There are three ways you can do it.
One, is emailing your thoughts to firstresponderfee@cityofsparks.us
The next is a virtual meeting on November 13 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
The last is an in-person meeting at Sparks Fire Station 1. That will be on November 13 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The station is located at 1605 Victorian Ave.
Before this is considered to be adopted, it must be heard in front of the Sparks City Council. There is no date for that at this time.
A website has been set up to answer frequently asked questions about the first responder fee. You can visit that website at this link.
The Reno Fire Department does not have a fee like this and says they are not considering one at this time.
