Sparks proposes $527 first responder fee, asks for community input

The City of Sparks proposed adding a $527 first responder fee for anyone receiving emergency care from the Sparks Fire Department.

The fee would only apply when the city's fire department is the first on scene and provides a patient with assessment, treatment, or any medical services, and when the patient is transported to a hospital by a different agency.

These services could include defibrillation, intubation and other lifesaving interventions.

If a patient is transported by the fire department, the responder fee would be cancelled but a separate transport charge would be billed.

The city's website says the fee would cover the actual costs associated with the response, including equipment, medicine and the specialized training of the personnel.

"Many people who benefit from emerge