A bill to help rural rescue squads cut down on their expenses has passed the General Assembly.
State Representative C.D. Davidsmeyer’s bill would allow rescue squads to fix, charge, and collect fees for rescue squad services and ambulance services within or outside district but not exceeding the reasonable cost of the service. Davidsmeyer says the idea came from the Meredosia-Bluffs Rescue Squad to help them find another revenue stream: “In rural areas, specifically the rescue squad that I’m proposing this for is 30 minutes away from the nearest hospital, which means they are 30 minutes away from the nearest ambulance. These rescue squads are volunteers providing services. It just says they can recoup the cost of the gas basically to get them – to get a person to a hospital. Without recouping these costs, I fear that we are going to lose this service all together in rural Illinois.”
Davidsmeyer says that it puts rescue squads in parity with volunteer fire districts who are allowed to recoup the costs of their reasonable service. he fees will be recouped from the insurance company. Although Rescue Squads perform similar services, and have corporate and ambulance service property tax levies, they do not have the same fee options as Fire Protection Districts.
The bill now heads to the governor’s desk for his approval.