I never understood why the fire department charges a fee in addition to the taxes we pay. Good thing we don't have to pay extra for an officer to check out a prowler call.

You listed the increased price in fees for some, or the amount raised --- can you post a list of all the fees at the higher rates.

It is very sad when elderly folks hesitate to call 911 for chest pains, as they know they will get hit with a huge bill, even if it is indigestion. Have there ever been studies of how many people die because they hesitate to call for an ambulance because they can not afford the cost on a fixed income.

I also question why they send a huge ladder truck on a medical call --- common sense would say that they should have paramedic units that are like Ford Escapes, that can also respond to a fire with the truck, but would go alone to medical calls.

@ Cow Dung --- actually I spent years in the transporation and logistics business --- and we wouldn't send an over the road Pete Sleeper with a 53 x 102 trailer to the Chicago Loop to pickup a 200 lb shipment ......... same principle applies here --- actually in police science, as I learned, it is better to have one man squads and send two to a call if needed for potential backup -- but if it turns into just a report writing gig, one cop can go back on patrol, instead of watching the other officer write it up

@Jay If I am correct you are an accountant, do you have any numbers you could share on who pays out of pocket and what is covered by medicare, medicaid and normal private plans --- also is there a co pay for medicare and medicaid?

Hi everyone, just wanted you to know I've downloaded and attached the full fee schedule for 2012.

All, I am the Fire Chief for North Shore Fire/Rescue and would like at address a couple of the comments posted here since they are valid questions.
We, like almost every other fire department and ambulance provider in the State charge fees for service in an effort to fiscal minimize the impact of service delivery to taxpayers not using the service. Approximately 11% of the Department's Operating Budget is from revenue from fees for ambulance services. If it weren't for fees, the equivalent amount of money would need to be raised from the tax levy to provide equivalent levels of protection and service.

In regards to the potential for elderly residents fearing to call 911 for services due to fees, we do review financial hardship cases using similar policies used by hospital systems in an effort to provide assistance to those that might have a verifiable financial aid need.

In regards to the types of vehicles we use to respond to calls, this is a common question. The Department is cognizant of fuel costs and the related costs to operate large vehicles. In an effort to provide rapid response, we send the closest vehicle, which is usually an ambulance, but at times, the closest ambulance may be on another call, so a fire apparatus is the closest vehicle. While we realize this is a costlier response, scientific stuides have verified the value of rapid response to medical emergencies as a means to higher survivability rates. We have also evaluated the cost of purchasing smaller vehicles to respond in, but we actually found the cost is higher to do that since we would need to maintain a larger fleet and we would also reduce fire protection since we would need to take people off fire apparatus to respond in these smaller vehicles.

I hope this has provided some answers to the questions and concerns posted. Please feel free to contact my office if you have further questions or concerns.

Robert Whitaker
Fire Chief
North Shore Fire/Rescue

Larry, that is a good example. The ambulance assigned that area was busy on another call for service, so the ladder truck is the next closest responder. They are fully equipped to provide EMS care. The ambulance came from another area of the North Shore.