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Emergency! Amador County poised to charge residents for EMS calls

Right now, the Amador Fire Protection District is certified for Basic Life Support services. The new fee will help them to become Advanced Life Support. The proposed fee of $364 is only for EMS-related service.

AMADOR COUNTY, Calif. — At Pine Grove's iconic 88 Giant Burgers To Go, employee Zoe Romero is all for beefing up her county's EMS services, even if will cost her more to do it.

"It seems it will save a lot of time, save a lot of lives," said Romero.

It's called the First Responder Fee. Amador County wants to put paramedics on its engines to cut down on longer wait times that may happen with an ambulance is called.

Right now, the Amador Fire Protection District is certified for Basic Life Support services. The new fee will help them to become Advanced Life Support. 

The proposed fee of $364 is only for EMS-related service.

"To where if we get on scene we can actually provide higher level of service to our community to get life-saving medications [and] help to the patient at a quicker time," said Amador Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Justin Yelinek.

How would the fee be paid for? It would be billed to your insurance. If you don't have insurance, you won't be charged. If your insurance won't pay, you won't be billed.

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"We will not be assessing this fee for structure fires, public assists, only going to be for EMS-related calls, vehicle accidents. If EMS care is provided we will be assessing on that," added Yelinek.

On social media, there are those who are condemning the proposed fee.

One post on Facebook by Gary Hankins reads: "What a rip-off, we pay to staff the fire stations, but if they respond to our home for a medical aid we have to pay again?"

Another Facebook post by Jamie Lee reads: "your trying to justify a pay raise. It doesn't matter to you if you get the money from the ppl or the insurance companies, you want more money for the same work."

The Amador Board of Supervisors has already greenlighted the fee. However, the board also acts as the board for the fire district, which votes on April 16.

Two public information meetings will be held Tuesday at the Amador County Board of Supervisors Building at 810 Court Street in Jackson. The times are 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Continue the conversation with Kurt on Facebook.

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