By Brittany Morehouse
WUSA9
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — With most of precincts reporting, 54% voters in Montgomery County are voting “No” to a proposed ambulance fee.
Local firefighters tried to dispel, what they were calling, the “myths” about the ambulance fee before Tuesday’s vote.
“It is not a tax,” said one fire chief.
“It is not a fee and no county resident will ever pay a dime or get a bill. It is a revenue stream.”
They said a revenue stream would come from insurance companies roughly to the tune of $14 million.
People who don’t have insurance will not have to pay a fee if they call 911.
“The unfortunate impact is without the the EMS transport fee is the potential for 89 career firefighters and paramedics to be laid off in addition 11 ems units to be de-staffed,” firefighters said.
It looks like voters would rather take their chances with their insurance companies, rather than pay the fee.
Republished with permission from WUSA9