Peachtree City Fire Chief Joe O’Conor at the May 18 City Council meeting proposed increasing three fees related to ambulance transport, decreasing another ambulance fee and increasing several others related to services provided by the city fire marshal.
O’Conor said the recommendations came after the department reviewed the fee structure of neighboring local governments.
O’Conor proposed increasing the ambulance transport fee for basic life support by $200, from $550 to $750, the ambulance fee for Advanced Life Support 1 by $200, from $625 to $825 and the fee for Advanced Life Support 2 by $225, from $675 to $900.
O’Conor proposed decreasing the helicopter assistance by $200, thus eliminating that fee. O’Conor said he believed the city could forego that fee given that helicopter fees can run up to $50,000.
“We think this is fair,” O’Conor said of the proposed fee changes, noting that the prices for the same services in the north metro Atlanta area are much higher.
O’Conor said 52 percent of ambulance transport in the city are Medicare and Medicaid related while the remaining 48 percent is covered by private insurance.
While most of the fees for fire marshal services are proposed to remain the same for next fiscal year, O’Conor recommended increasing several of those fees by $25-50 while decreasing one of the fees by $50.
A sampling of the fire marshal fees proposed for an increase are the sprinkler flow test, hood system balloon/flameout test and the above-ground sprinkler plumbing pressure test.
If approved later during the upcoming budget discussions, the fees would take effect on Oct. 1.
