For years, New York State leaders have been pushing for a bill to allow local fire departments to charge for EMS services as they continue to foot the bill, and some officials say it would be in the community’s best interest for it to pass. Fire officials from as far as Long Island met with Assemblyman Billy Jones at the Altona fire department on Thursday afternoon to advocate for the “Fair Play Ambulance Cost Recovery Act.”Every fire department in this state benefits from this bill,” said Donald Corkery, the 1st president of the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York. Officials at the Altona Fire Department say two-thirds of their budget goes towards ambulatory services and pre-hospital care for patients, the remainder of the budget going toward everything else; such as maintaining the firehouse. “Because of the cost for providing ambulance services to the citizens, our budgets are strained and threadbare,” said Ryan Blando, chairman of the board of fire commissioners. Officials explain how medical insurance providers will be billed for a patient who is served by a private ambulatory service, but New York fire departments cannot do this. Officials say fire districts, and in turn, taxpayers, foot the bill for ambulance services. If the legislation is passed, it would allow fire departments to recover that cost, and charge for the service instead, a concept that has been discussed in New York State for decades. “All this bill does is it eliminates the prohibition behind volunteer fire departments billing for ambulatory services,” said Assemblyman Billy Jones. “Without being able to recoup some of their costs, then they have to go to the taxpayers for that. so this is a money-saving bill for taxpayers, but above all, it’s a health and safety bill for our community members.”Jones and fire officials say every other state in the nation has this policy. Fire departments, on strained budgets, are also struggling with volunteer staff, and training costs money. “Without this, we could face the possibility someday of no one responding to a call,” Jones said. Altona is continuing to rely on volunteer fundraising to provide equipment for emergencies. “We’ve got several pieces of equipment that are aging, that are obsolete, that need to be replaced but because over two-thirds of our budget cannot be recouped by the actual user of the service, we’re stuck in a holding pattern,” Blando said.When asked about the greatest opposition to the bill, Jones says it comes down to money and paid ambulatory services fearing this would encroach on them. Jones says this is a bipartisan bill and he is going to continue to push to have it move through the assembly and then be signed into law by the governor. NBC5 reached out to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office for a response.”Governor Hochul has deep appreciation for the critical and lifesaving services that volunteer fire departments provide to communities across New York State, and she will review the legislation if it passes,” a spokesperson for the governor said.
For years, New York State leaders have been pushing for a bill to allow local fire departments to charge for EMS services as they continue to foot the bill, and some officials say it would be in the community’s best interest for it to pass.
Fire officials from as far as Long Island met with Assemblyman Billy Jones at the Altona fire department on Thursday afternoon to advocate for the “Fair Play Ambulance Cost Recovery Act.
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“Every fire department in this state benefits from this bill,” said Donald Corkery, the 1st president of the Association of Fire Districts of the State of New York.
Officials at the Altona Fire Department say two-thirds of their budget goes towards ambulatory services and pre-hospital care for patients, the remainder of the budget going toward everything else; such as maintaining the firehouse.
“Because of the cost for providing ambulance services to the citizens, our budgets are strained and threadbare,” said Ryan Blando, chairman of the board of fire commissioners.
Officials explain how medical insurance providers will be billed for a patient who is served by a private ambulatory service, but New York fire departments cannot do this. Officials say fire districts, and in turn, taxpayers, foot the bill for ambulance services. If the legislation is passed, it would allow fire departments to recover that cost, and charge for the service instead, a concept that has been discussed in New York State for decades.
“All this bill does is it eliminates the prohibition behind volunteer fire departments billing for ambulatory services,” said Assemblyman Billy Jones. “Without being able to recoup some of their costs, then they have to go to the taxpayers for that. so this is a money-saving bill for taxpayers, but above all, it’s a health and safety bill for our community members.”
Jones and fire officials say every other state in the nation has this policy.
Fire departments, on strained budgets, are also struggling with volunteer staff, and training costs money.
“Without this, we could face the possibility someday of no one responding to a call,” Jones said.
Altona is continuing to rely on volunteer fundraising to provide equipment for emergencies.
“We’ve got several pieces of equipment that are aging, that are obsolete, that need to be replaced but because over two-thirds of our budget cannot be recouped by the actual user of the service, we’re stuck in a holding pattern,” Blando said.
When asked about the greatest opposition to the bill, Jones says it comes down to money and paid ambulatory services fearing this would encroach on them.
Jones says this is a bipartisan bill and he is going to continue to push to have it move through the assembly and then be signed into law by the governor.
NBC5 reached out to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office for a response.
“Governor Hochul has deep appreciation for the critical and lifesaving services that volunteer fire departments provide to communities across New York State, and she will review the legislation if it passes,” a spokesperson for the governor said.
