By Ruth Rendon
The Houston Chronicle
Copyright 2007 The Houston Chronicle Publishing Company
All Rights Reserved
FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — The long-standing policy of providing ambulance service for free would change under a proposal from a City Council member.
But fire and EMS officials say a fee to transport someone to a hospital is not necessary.
City Councilman Chris Peden suggested earlier this week that the city should consider charging $150 to anyone who is transported to a hospital by the Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department Inc., which operates both fire and EMS service in the city. The fee, he said, is needed because donations earmarked for equipment replacement are dwindling.
A decision on the fee needs to come before Sept. 1, the start of the city’s fiscal year, Peden said.
Residents are encouraged to donate $3 a month through their water bill to the equipment replacement fund, which generates about $235,000 annually, said Rick McFee, president of the FVFD.
“That’s how we in the past have replaced equipment. We had a smaller city and high participation,” Peden said. “Over the past 7 to 10 years, the participation has dwindled to 42 percent. When we went to replace a firetruck, there was no money there.”
McFee disagreed, saying the money was available to purchase a replacement firetruck for $420,000. The City Council also approved paying $420,000 for a second firetruck with money from the city’s general fund.
The second truck, McFee said, was part of the city’s capital improvement plan because the truck will be stationed at a new fire station near FM 2351 and FM 518, the city’s fourth.
McFee said the department has four firetrucks, with one truck used as a reserve truck. Placing the reserve truck at the new station would mean one station would be shut down if a truck is inoperable.