PORT ANGELES — The City Council approved increasing the cost of a ride in a public ambulance Tuesday — but city residents won’t pay more.
The change in rates — which range from 12 percent to 30 percent, depending upon the medical services provided — will not affect city residents, said Fire Chief Dan McKeen at the council meeting.
The increase will be passed on to insurance companies. Anything not covered by insurance will be covered by the city’s Medic 1 utility fee.
Those who live out of the city but use the Port Angeles Fire Department ambulance could end up with a bill for anything insurance companies don’t cover. But there is a charity program that can reduce or eliminate the fees for them, said Fire Chief Dan McKeen at the council meeting.
The move brings the fees up to par with fire departments and districts on the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas and is also intended to offset additional costs the fire department took on late last year, city staff members said.
But that utility fee only applies to rides in a public ambulance.
A ride in a private ambulance, which is often used by the fire department if a patient doesn’t require medical care during transport, is not covered.
The fees approved by the council in an unanimous vote are:
• $450 for basic life support. The previous fee was $380.
• $600 for advanced life support, level 1. The previous fee was $500.
• $650 for advanced life support, level 2. The previous fee was $580.
• $600 for paramedic intercept service. The previous fee was $500.
• $13 per mile traveled. The previous fee was $10 per mile.
According to a staff memo, the increases bring the city’s fees to up to the middle of the pack when compared to nine fire departments and districts in Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap counties.
The city previously provided the lowest cost of ambulance service in those counties.
McKeen said in July that the higher fees are needed because Olympic Medical Center began charging the Port Angeles Fire Department the costs of disposable medical supplies it offers.
Previously, according to McKeen, the hospital charged the cost of those supplies to patients.
That move has added about $25,000 in costs to the city’s ambulance transport budget, according to McKeen.
The increase in fees is expected to raise between $7,000 and $10,000 a year.
Medic 1 fees may need to be increased next year to make up the rest, McKeen said in July.
Currently, the Medic 1 utility fee costs a residence $52.12 a year and businesses $53.74 per unit.
The fee is expected to cover $68,000 in ambulance transport and aid costs this year.
Facade improvement
At the meeting, the council also approved allocating $115,992 from the city’s economic development fund for a facade improvement program.
Through the program, the city will provide a matching grant of up to $10,000 for exterior improvements to buildings within commercial zones.
The funds were previously held in the city’s housing rehabilitation fund.
The program also offers up to $1,000 for improving private signs.
The City Council also approved as of 8:20 p.m. Tuesday:
• The development of a 13-unit residential subdivision on O Street between 10th and 12th streets.
• Establishing bond reserves in the sewage treatment plant operations and maintenance fund.