FULLERTON : City Increases Fees for Paramedics

Paramedic fees in the city will be increased under a resolution adopted by the City Council this week.

The council increased the basic subscription fee from $16 to $18, basic life-support response from $90 to $150 and the advanced life-support response from $150 to $250, said Marc Martin, division chief of the Fullerton Fire Department.

Basic life-support services, including taking blood pressure, checking vital signs and administering oxygen, can be provided by any firefighter with an emergency medical technician’s certificate. Advanced support, such as taking electrocardiograms or administering drugs intravenously, can be performed only by paramedics.

In 1990, the paramedic program cost the city $1.2 million. However, the city was only able to collect $424,239, of which about $315,485 was from subscribers.

About 45% of the city’s residents are enrolled in the program. Records of calls made last year show that non-residents and non-subscribers accounted for 2,118, or 52%, of the 4,104 paramedic response calls. Martin said subscribers accounted for 75% of the revenue and only 48% of the calls.

In addition, the council also extented eligibility for the subscription service to non-resident students attending Fullerton schools and Fullerton-based businesses with 10 or more employees.

The fee increases should be in effect by late May and will bring the city’s paramedic fee structure in line with most of the county, Martin said.