LAGUNA BEACH : Ordinance Imposing Paramedic Fees OKd
In a move expected to generate up to $30,000 annually for the city, the City Council has given final approval to an ordinance allowing the Fire Department to charge non-residents for paramedic services.
When the new law is implemented July 1, Laguna Beach will become the only city in Orange County to charge non-residents only for such services, according to Deputy Fire Chief Rich Dewberry. Other cities either charge residents a monthly fee and out-of-towners at the time of service or do not charge at all, he said.
The council unanimously approved the ordinance Tuesday, setting the fees at $200 for first-aid service and $300 for advanced life-support service.
City Manager Kenneth C. Frank said those amounts are in keeping with fees charged for such services by other cities of similar size.
While the fees are expected to generate $25,000 to $30,000 annually for the city, they will not come close to offsetting the actual cost of providing paramedic services, which, according to a report by Police Chief Neil J. Purcell Jr., is about $75,000 per year.
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