Thank you for calling 911. Will this be cash or charge?

Jolie77

Jolie77

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Castle Hills to charge for 911 calls

A new ordinance gives you only one free call a year.

10:30 PM CST on Monday, February 16, 2009

Amanda Stanzilis, Reporter

Forget your one phone call from jail. Castle Hills city leaders unanimously passed an ordinance that says you get one free phone call for EMT help once a year. It's called the First Responder's Fee. If you call 911 and EMT's respond to your house more than once in the same year, you'll be charged a $55 fine. City leaders say the goal is to recover some of the response costs, and to stop the overuse of the system.

Castle Hills EMT's contract with San Antonio EMS, and council members also blame needing the fee on the rising costs of those contracts. The city budgeted $215,000 in EMS fees to San Antonio for the current fiscal year. The Castle HIlls EMT's act as the first responders. The city says it needs help to pay for the cost of providing that service call.

One council member raised concerns the new ordinance would stop those on a limited income for calling for help even if they really needed it. But the ordinance passed unanimously.

The one free call does not include calling for police help or if you have an active fire.
Click to expand...
Castle Hills to charge for 911 calls | Latest News | KENS5.com

Understandably, There are some people who are abusing the 911 system which causes the increasing costs for the EMT and 911 system but here's the thing - if someone really needs to use the 911 system more than once a year (ie; elderly people, people with immediate/serious medical needs, so and on) they will still be charged for a fine of $55, no matter how much the situation is in a dire need. :crazy:

What's your take on this?
 
Maybe they will waive the fee for elderly with bad health problems.
 
Bottesini said:
Maybe they will waive the fee for elderly with bad health problems.
Click to expand...

Perhaps - but the article was not exactly clear on how they will be waiving the fee for elderly people with health problems.

The one free call does not include calling for police help or if you have an active fire.
Click to expand...

This is what is mind boggling because the one free call does not include calling if you have an active fire? WTF?
 
Wow!

I wonder if the nursing homes will be charged for this as well. When I worked at one we had to call 911 several times a week when a resident is in dire need of medical attention.

Or the medical needy that is in the care of Home Health.
 
It sounds like unconstitutional and need taken to court.
 
Man: I think I'm having another heart attack.
Woman: Ohhh, I better call 911.
Man: No, no. We already used up our one free call this year.
Woman: So what?
Man: Money's a little tight these days due to the slumping economy.
Woman: You have a point, after all you do have that life insurance.
Man: Wait a minute...
 
Banjo said:
Man: I think I'm having another heart attack.
Woman: Ohhh, I better call 911.
Man: No, no. We already used up our one free call this year.
Woman: So what?
Man: Money's a little tight these days due to the slumping economy.
Woman: You have a point, after all you do have that life insurance.
Man: Wait a minute...
Click to expand...


exactly!

I would not be surprised if this became a true case scenario!
 
Babyblue said:
Wow!

I wonder if the nursing homes will be charged for this as well. When I worked at one we had to call 911 several times a week when a resident is in dire need of medical attention.

Or the medical needy that is in the care of Home Health.
Click to expand...

Since the article was not exactly clear on the issue but I am assuming that it only applies to the residential areas instead of the nursing home? :dunno:
 
I know they charge for 911 calls here. But not for the calls itself. Just the EMS transportation. If a person has to be transported to a hospital.
 
Yeah, I think they ought to waive the fees for the elderly.

What about mental / insane people that will repeatedly call 911?

And how about people that take another's phone and call 911?

For the fires and police issues, I guess it would help if you had the numbers of your nearest/local PD and FD. I have both of them saved.
 
Jolie77 said:
Castle Hills to charge for 911 calls | Latest News | KENS5.com

Understandably, There are some people who are abusing the 911 system which causes the increasing costs for the EMT and 911 system but here's the thing - if someone really needs to use the 911 system more than once a year (ie; elderly people, people with immediate/serious medical needs, so and on) they will still be charged for a fine of $55, no matter how much the situation is in a dire need. :crazy:

What's your take on this?
Click to expand...

I live about 15 minutes away from Castle Hills.

I don't like this new ordinance. It will greatly discourage low-income people who have true emergency but have no money from calling 911, and as a result, many tragedies/deaths will occur and if there is a fire or something, somebody will be homeless or even dead because no one called 911. Sad. I hope San Antonio does not follow suit. I hope this ordinance gets overturned. :(

This is really scary.
 
Jolie77 said:
Castle Hills to charge for 911 calls | Latest News | KENS5.com

Understandably, There are some people who are abusing the 911 system which causes the increasing costs for the EMT and 911 system but here's the thing - if someone really needs to use the 911 system more than once a year (ie; elderly people, people with immediate/serious medical needs, so and on) they will still be charged for a fine of $55, no matter how much the situation is in a dire need. :crazy:

What's your take on this?
Click to expand...

My take is this--thank goodness I don't live there!

Our 911 system is paid by taxpayers and anytime the fire department/911 system needs funding--it always passes by 90% of the vote!
 
wow i am surprised you

i hope be happy I heard sound great you are good point law I think so good suggestion to be help you fines and against t law. it is fee or fines $500 or $1,000 that is why serious I am scared I told false ambulance. i think so good point. I don't want to false or false alarm. don't Be warned because i am serious that is not play games I am serious ambulance told me another people is complaint to ambulance. I told i Have problem i understand no problem...
 
I think it should be charged. I am tired of people abusing 911. My mother worked as a 911 dispatcher and told me that so many calls were totally unnecessary. Mentally ill are notorious for making 911 calls and they should be charged. I don't care if they're broke, the mentally ill should be committed anyway.

We should charge only for non-emergency calls, not geniune emergencies.
 
it is police and ambulance to important to health card reason explain to you . I think so important to communication to e911videophone called to ambulance or police that is victims help support..

Peaceful to respect to police having job person work hard time always watch on time I am happy I hope be happy sound great to help you encourage to police job responsibility watch on time all the time... I hope be happy I sound great to important to help you safe life. Prevent to ganger or bad things. sometimes people having trouble because police said stop it. I am against to law. They are police job because important to watch on police make sure strict.
 
They should just fine those who abuse the system and not fine those who really need it.
 
Another example of morons who think they know how best to run the system, why didn't they consult professional advice?
 
The artical didn't say much...

I remember from read several werid threads - example: called 911 because the fast food resturant do not have lemonade, refused to serve the beer, etc. etc. and mother have to die because the emergency operator thought 3 years old boy's call is fake...

To my opinion, if they want to charge for fake calls then do penalty fine...
 
god now it is too complicate for paying 911.

they 911 will have a long list of complaints of paying otherwise.
 
Seriously I don't know what to think of this... maybe they will only charge once they figure out that there was no use of calling 911... :shrug: Based on what? Maybe doctors report or something...

*Confused* JamieLynn
 
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