May 14, 2010

Contact:   President Ken Yazge

240-876-0355

ken.yazge@bccrs.org

NEWS RELEASE

New Report Provides Compelling Evidence for Rejecting Ambulance Fees

Rescue Squad Calls on County Council to Reject Fees

A new report provides compelling evidence --from multiple sources--that ambulance fees will discourage people from calling 911 in a medical emergency and/or will cause them to refuse ambulance transport when needed.  The report, prepared by the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad and released in conjunction with the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire/Rescue Association, definitely refutes the claims that ambulance fees will have no impact on access to emergency medical services. 

"As the title of the report notes, ambulance fee supporters are entitled to their own opinions, but they aren't entitled to their own facts," said Rescue Squad President Ken Yazge.  "And the facts are clear: scientific studies, opinion surveys, and the experience of jurisdictions with fees show that ambulance fees will reduce calls when help is needed most.   The County Council now has more than enough evidence that ambulance fees create a real public health issue and should be rejected once and for all." 

Read the full News Release (pdf file)

Read a summary of the Report (pdf file)

To read the full report, along with supporting studies, visit  http://www.stopambulancefee.org

Take Action:  Click here for more reasons to oppose the fee, a sample letter,  and contact information for the Montgomery County Council. 

About the Rescue Squad

Now in its 70th year, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad is a community-supported non-profit organization that provides, at no charge to the recipient, professional fire, rescue, and emergency medical services to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Maryland area, as well as Upper Northwest Washington, D.C.  The spirit, commitment, dedication, and operational skills of its members are the defining characteristics of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad.   The Squad provides the community with the security and peace of mind that comes with emergency services that are among the best in the United States.

The Rescue Squad does not receive regular budgeted funds from any government.  Instead, the Squad raises almost all of its $2 million operating budget from individual donors, foundations, businesses, and occasional state and federal grants.  The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad is registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and contributions to the Squad are tax-deductible as allowable by law.

Click here to learn about joining the men and women who are dedicated to serving the community as volunteer Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics, and Firefighters.

Click here for more information about the Rescue Squad and its services.

Photo: Rescue Squad crews simulate a rescue during a demonstration at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland. After cutting off the roof of a car and unwrapping crushed metal to gain access to the victims inside, the Squad’s crew carefully extricates the patients, provides medical care, and transfers them to a waiting ambulance for transport to a hospital. All Rescue Squad members are professionally trained to provide emergency medical care at the scene and on the way to the hospital.

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