Residential care facilities could be billed for non-emergency 911 calls under new Westfield ordinanc

WESTFIELD, Ind. - Some central Indiana residential care facilities could soon begin to be billed for making non-emergency 911 calls.




A new ordinance approved by the Westfield City Council has established a progressive fee structure for residential care facilities that continually call 911 for assistance with non-emergency issues.




In a press release, WFD indicated that residential care facilities have called 911 for assistance in lifting individuals who have fallen and sustained no injuries off the ground. Some facilities have called EMS to transport patients who aren't having medical emergencies to hospitals. Others have called medics to take residents to doctor follow-ups or help with routine medical transfers.




The Westfield City Council has indicated that its new ordinance is designed to "address the increasing misuse of emergency services by residential care facilities for non-emergency incidents."




WFD reported that it has responded to 1,651 emergency medical incidents this year. The agency indicated that nearly a third of those incidents happened at residential care facilities.




Of the incidents originating from residential care facilities, nearly a third of them were later deemed non-emergent by WFD. That means, of the 1,651 incidents WFD has responded to this year, about 184 of them have been non-emergencies at residential care facilities.




"During peak times, WFD often handles multiple calls simultaneously, engaging two or more fire stations," a WFD spokesperson wrote in a prepared release. "This can commit half or more of the department's personnel, occasionally requiring out-of-district support for additional emergencies. Such scenarios risk delayed responses to critical incidents, which conflict with WFD's mission to prioritize life-saving care."




Per WFD, only residential care facilities will receive invoices for non-emergency 911 calls. The residents themselves will not be directly billed by the City of Westfield for such services.




WFD is calling the fees progressive because they will escalate for facilities that continue to repeatedly make non-emergency 911 calls.




WFD indicated that it will work to educate residential care facilities on the ordinance before it begins to be enforced. The department expects to help the facilities develop internal policies and proper care practices that can help them avoid being billed for non-emergency medical calls.




In its release, WFD recommended care facilities develop their own means to transport residents to non-emergency doctors' appointments or transfer them to other medical buildings.




WFD is encouraging facilities that can't transport residents to hospitals on their own to work with private ambulance services that specialize in non-emergency medical transportation.




Westfield's new ordinance comes as the City's emergency medical services continue to be strained by booming population growth. In an interview with FOX59/CBS4 in Aug. 22, WFD Chief Rob Gaylor said his department was facing a growing number of 911 calls and struggling to keep up.




At the time, Gaylor said that about 20 years ago, WFD only received around 1,400 to 1,700 emergency calls a year. In the 2022 interview, Gaylor estimated his department would receive between 4,000 and 5,000 calls a year.




In July 2024, WFD announced plans for a new fire station. The new station will be just the fourth in the City of Westfield.




In an interview with FOX59/CBS4 in 2024, Gaylor said fire departments in neighboring Hamilton County cities like Carmel and Fishers receive more calls than Westfield does each day, but those towns have more fire stations in them.




As of last year, the City of Westfield was averaging about 810 emergency calls per fire station. Per Gaylor, Carmel, Fishers and Noblesville were averaging 775, 636 and 567 calls per station, respectively.




"It's a critical need," Westfield Mayor Scott Willis told FOX59/CBS4 in a 2024 interview. "And when you think of public safety, when you have to dial 911, seconds matter. And right now our average run times are just a tick under six minutes per run. National standards say we need to be closer to three and a half to four minutes per run."




U.S. Census Bureau data indicates the population of Westfield was 30,068 in 2010. That number grew to 46,410 by April 2020. The U.S. Census Bureau currently estimates that, as of July 1, 2024, the City's population hovered around 62,994.




The City of Fishers issued a public nuisance order earlier this year. That order led to a 30% drop in excessive 911 calls being made by businesses like hotels and large retailers.




Under the order, businesses in Fishers could be fined $250 after making 15 or more 911 calls.




The City of Greenwood also implemented a similar rule in 2013. At the time, the City indicated that it planned to fine businesses and residents $50 if they made excessive and unwarranted 911 calls.




The City of Westfield's new EMS ordinance is set to take effect in October.




"When we are called, we will absolutely respond," Gaylor wrote in a prepared statement on Tuesday. "However, non-emergency calls can strain our resources, potentially delaying responses to life-threatening incidents."





via: https://fox59.com/news/residential-care-facilities-could-be-billed-for-non-emergency-911-calls-under-new-westfield-ordinance/