At its September 21 meeting, the Flower Mound Town Council approved a new fee schedule that targets medical facilities that call the town’s fire department for services the facilities are expected to provide themselves. The ordinance introduces a $500 lift‑assist fee and a $1,500 non‑emergency medical transport fee, the largest fee adjustment in the town’s history.

Why the fees were added

Chief Financial Officer John Zagurski explained that the fees apply only to medical facilities, not to private residents. The town wants to encourage senior‑living communities and other health‑care providers to use their own staff for routine patient assistance, such as helping a fallen resident get up, rather than relying on fire‑department personnel who are needed for higher‑priority emergencies.

“We have a number of senior living facilities within town,” Zagurski said. “This will allow us to charge fees anytime we’re called for non‑emergency purposes – basically taking emergency personnel away from bigger responses.”

How the fees work

If a medical facility requests fire‑department assistance for a patient who has fallen but shows no injury, the $500 lift‑assist fee will be assessed. For calls that request ambulance transport for patients who do not require emergency care, the $1,500 non‑emergency medical transport fee will be billed.

Fire Department spokesperson Brandon Barth noted that such calls are relatively uncommon in Flower Mound, but the fee serves as a precaution against misuse of 911. “It’s more to have those facilities not abuse 911 for non‑emergency things that their staff is getting paid to do and should be able to handle within their facility,” he said.

Residents remain protected

Residents who fall at home or need assistance getting up can still call the fire department at no charge. The department also confirmed that private residents are not billed for ambulance services; any costs are covered by insurance or written off as a no‑bill, meaning taxpayers are not charged for routine assistance.

“We bill for what insurance will pay us and the rest is written off as no‑bill,” Barth added. “That’s their tax dollars at work, and they should never second‑guess if they need an ambulance or help up – we’ll come to private residences all day, every day to help.”

Oversight and enforcement

A third‑party contractor, used by Flower Mound and other municipalities, will review each call to determine whether it was medically necessary and whether a fee should be applied. Assistant Fire Chief of Operations Jerry Duffield warned that patient care could suffer if facilities continue to rely on 911 for routine tasks.

The ordinance also contains language intended to prevent medical facilities from passing the fees on to patients when they call 911 for non‑emergency assistance.

Broader fee schedule update

Zagurski said the new fees are part of a broader update to the town’s fee schedule, designed to better align charges with the actual cost of services, reflect recent changes in state law, and modernize the town’s code of ordinances. Officials emphasized that the primary goal is to keep emergency personnel available for urgent calls, not to generate additional revenue for the town.

Flower Mound residents are encouraged to continue using emergency services when needed, without fear of cost, while medical facilities are asked to rely on their own staff for routine assistance.

Original reporting: Cross Timbers Gazette — read the source article.