Quoted Text

Schenectady weighs fee for some 911 calls
City considering charging for calls that are deemed frivolous, non-emergency
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer
Published 11:10 p.m., Monday, December 19, 2011
  
SCHENECTADY — City residents should be certain they need help when calling 911, because the city might soon charge people if they're dialing for frivolous reasons.

Fire Chief Michael Della Rocco presented a proposal at City Council's committee meeting Monday night that would require a fee to be billed to people who summon fire department paramedics to a scene when there appears to be no good reason to do so.

Rocco suggested a $55 fee, but Acting Mayor Gary McCarthy said the council would have to decide if the first call would be free, and then have a sliding fee scale for what he called "frequent flyers," those who repeatedly call 911. The idea was mentioned during recent budget discussions as a way to defer the increasing cost of providing medical services.

The fire chief gave examples of system abuses, like one woman who recently pulled a fire alarm because her husband had a bad toothache for four days. He said some city residents are known to call a dozen times, and then are discharged from the hospital shortly after their arrivals. Della Rocco was also not kind to Union College students, who he said can be verbally abusive to responders and then refuse medical treatment.....................>>>>.................>>>>....................Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/loca.....92.php#ixzz1h4VmNrad

So, what are they going to do, tell the 911 caller that a fee will be imposed so get your check book ready?

...and the Renaissance GOES ON!

Has the definition of rennaissance changed to mean corrpution and blight?

Remember folks!

The Democratic Party is for the working man and middle class

Guess the City is becoming disgustingly creative when they are bleeding money.

I mean, why solve the problem? Why not just begin billing the tax exempt properties Downtown...or better yet, have Metroplex hand the PILOT payments directly to the City?

Then, a complete audit of the welfare building would bring millions back to the county. Not only that, but many of the welfare abusers would leave the City. Wonder how much of an exodus that would create?

Or a sure fire solution to get $100,000 back into the City. A no-brainer? McCarthy either choses his pension or his salary. No salary = $100,000 - well over the amount this 911 predjudice 'might' generate.

Everyone pays for this service in one way or another and if some people are making frivolous calls for emergency equipment
it would seem wise to charge a fee for unnecessary calls.
Besides the expense, frivolous calls tie up needed equipment when a real emergency exists.

According to Chief Della Rocco the fee would be billed to people who summon fire department paramedics to a scene
when there appears to be no good reason to do so.

First....I do know first hand that there are many frivolous calls.

..........however......most of the folks that are making these frivolous calls, will in no way be able to pay a 'fine' for these calls. So this is AGAIN a non-issue. Money that can and won't ever be collected!!

Hey, when you create an 'entitlement' society....this is what you get!!!

As predicted....Here's your new DEM $55 EMS tax! Keep voting DEM moron. Double taxing garbage isn't leading to rebirth. Next the idiotic DEM golf course plan will be revived. Taxpayers go to hell. Since the vast majority of calls are from low income renters-how you do collect this? More working together works. Poor people aren't getting raped enough with the regressive Metrograft sales tax to benefit the 1% developers.

So on this board, no matter what the problem... it's the Democrats fault.
After republican opposition to this bill gets it turned down... some bleeding Republican will be waiting an hour for an
ambulance (the ambulance that is responding to a guy with a toothache) and that Republican will once again blame
the Democrats.

Reading this board is an example of what happens on Conservative Message Boards.  Really pathetic.

Quoted from Box A Rox

Everyone pays for this service in one way or another and if some people are making frivolous calls for emergency equipment
it would seem wise to charge a fee for unnecessary calls.
Besides the expense, frivolous calls tie up needed equipment when a real emergency exists.

According to Chief Della Rocco the fee would be billed to people who summon fire department paramedics to a scene
when there appears to be no good reason to do so.

The majority of the people who make these calls.....

1. Are mentally ill
2. Don't have any money
3. Won't pay when billed later.
4. Don't have anything to lein if they don't pay.
5. Don't live in Schenectady
6. Aren't citizens of the United States.
7. Dont have Identification
8. Won't give their identification.
9. Don't speak english.
10.  Aren't paying their rent.
11. Was called by one of their children

This program is another example of the city paying $1 to save a dime.  The paperwork necessary to administer this program will outstrip any benefits.  This will also add another thng to worry about to the seniors who are already overwhelmed by all the changes in the laws and ordinances and fees and shootings.  People may actually die from this chnage since they may not understand the semantics of this program and may hold off on calling the paramedics even though they dont apply.  

What is pathetic is some flea bagger who is really a Fulton County DEM support screwing the 99%. City taxpayers {which you are not} are already paying handsomely for police and fire protection. The DEMS have all the City seats. Who should we blame the Green Party? Try and occasionally get your facts right. When the foo s**** wear it.

What is really tragic is that someone will die because of this new DEM tax. A poor person worried about this outrageous fee will not call 911 when they need to. Really sad to hear these out of County grinchs support this-only because some DEM idiot proposed it. Can you imagine if there was an elected City REP and they dared propose this? Racist, sexist, 1% fat cat, KKK member. But since the DEMS are pushing it another sign of renaissance, rebirth and fiscal incompetence.

Quoted from TakingItBack

The majority of the people who make these calls.....

1. Are mentally ill
2. Don't have any money
3. Won't pay when billed later.
4. Don't have anything to lein if they don't pay.
5. Don't live in Schenectady
6. Aren't citizens of the United States.
7. Dont have Identification
8. Won't give their identification.
9. Don't speak english.
10.  Aren't paying their rent.
11. Was called by one of their children

Since it wasn't in the paper, could you post the source of this information.

Other than from this board, I have no idea weather the city leaders are Dem Rep or other... and I don't care.  
The problem of unnecessary 911 responses could be in any community, and I'd feel the same way.  
Cutting unnecessary 911 response calls would seem to be a good idea anywhere.