March 15, 2010

For immediate release

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:         President Kenneth M. Yazge

                     240-876-0355             

                     ken.yazge@bccrs.org

Statement of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad on

the County Executive's Ambulance Fee

Rescue Squad Calls on Council to Reject Fee 

The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad (BCCRS) is extremely disappointed that the County Executive has, once again, proposed to charge county residents and others $300-$800 for emergency ambulance service.   BCCRS consistently has opposed ambulance fees on practical and policy grounds.  The County Council wisely rejected ambulance fees in 2004 and 2009, and BCCRS urges the Council to do so again.

“Ambulance fees will discourage residents from calling 911 when help is needed most,” said BCCRS President Ken Yazge.  “The burden will fall most heavily on the poor, elderly and other vulnerable groups, and we are committed to providing unfettered service to these individuals without the fear that they will be charged for receiving emergency care.” 

“We also oppose ambulance fees because the County shouldn’t charge for a service that is provided for free by our volunteers,” Yazge added.  “We serve to give something back to our community, and it's simply wrong to charge residents for a service that our volunteers provide for free.”

BCCRS urges the Council to reject ambulance fees – as it wisely did in 2004 and 2009.  And we urge county residents to make your voices heard.  Please call or email the Council at (240) 777-7900 or county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov. 

For more information on ambulance fees, visit www.bccrs.org or www.stopambulancefee.org .

For more information on the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad, click here.   

###

To receive email updates on this and other Rescue Squad issues, click here to sign up for our email newsletter.  

Return to Newsroom.