Not all cities have firefighters who are also paramedics, as we do in Roseville. This enhanced level of service protects our community to a greater degree.
First responder fees have become an industry standard among cities with this response capability to help offset the cost of the enhanced paramedic level of service provided by engine and truck companies.
The purpose of the fee is to ensure that those requiring life support services resulting in transport to a hospital pay the costs of receiving those services.
The majority of the calls for service that our Fire personnel respond to are medically related, and often are administered to non-Roseville residents (meaning people visiting to shop, work, or leisure).
The Emergency Medical Services First Responder Fee ensures the level of service is maintained and that those people utilizing the services pay the reasonable costs for those services.
Only those who receive life support services resulting in transport to a hospital are charged this fee.
On October 7, 2020, Roseville City Council adopted Chapter 9.27 of the Roseville Municipal Code - Emergency Medical Services First Responder Fee. This code adoption allows the City to collect fees related to the cost of providing emergency medical services that require transportation to the hospital by ambulance for both city residents and nonresidents.
Only those who receive life support services resulting in transport to a hospital are charged this fee.
The amount of the fee is based on the cost to provide services. This includes personnel, equipment and materials costs; a public agency cannot profit from a fee.
This fee will only be charged to patients who receive medical life support services from a first responder unit (Engine or Truck) and are transported to a hospital by ambulance.
Because pre-hospital care is a critical component of the healthcare system, most insurances cover the Emergency Medical Services First Responder Fee.
The principle rationale for the Emergency Medical Services First Responder Fee is that local government fire department services have expanded well beyond the traditional fire suppression generally supported by the City’s share of sales and property tax revenues .
The change in balance from fire suppression to medical services has shifted the rationale for funding fire department operations from primarily tax revenues to a combination of tax revenues and user fees.
You have received this bill because you received medical care from a first responder and you were transported to the hospital by ambulance.
If you received a bill, we may not have obtained your medical insurance information or your medical insurance does not cover this bill.
If you have questions about your specific bill, please contact our billing company Whitman Enterprises at 866-385-6552.
The fee is typically covered by commercial insurance, workers compensation, auto insurance, and finally private payers. A compassionate clause is also included to provide relief to private payers without the financial ability to pay.
If you feel you cannot afford your bill, please call 916-774-5877 or email
firefirstresponderfee@roseville.ca.us to discuss qualifications for a possible fee waiver or payment plan.
Our authority to impose the Emergency Medical Services First Responder fee comes from our Charter and our powers as a Charter City to impose regulatory fees in compliance with Prop 26. It is the same authority that allows us to charge any of our regulatory fees.
Fire Districts and General Law Cities cannot impose such fees without express authority, but Charter cities can do so under the “police powers” in the California Constitution (Art. XI Section 7).
Because Fire Districts cannot impose a First Responder Fee absent express authority, the California State Legislature gave them that authority by adopting Health and Safety Code section 13916, which expressly authorizes Fire Districts to charge the fee. That Health and Safety Code section does not, however, say ONLY Fire Districts can charge the fee. It is just the authorizing statute for them to charge it since they don’t have the same police power authority we have as a Charter City.