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- 📈 Emergency Services Costs Soar
📈 Emergency Services Costs Soar
The Rising Financial Burden on Communities
Jack Caseo
February 19, 2024
🚑️ The cost of ambulance rides has soared over the last seven years. According to FAIR Health, most services increasingly bill for “advanced life support” where prices have risen by more than 56%. In some areas, like the Arlington Fire District in Poughkeepsie, expenses have ballooned out of control and often exceed planned budgets. Demand for ambulance services is likely to increase as our population ages.
Image from Unsplash
🚒 According to the AFD Reporter, the Arlington Fire District has exceeded its budget for the fourth year in a row. Arlington Fire District Commissioners approved a 13.4% tax increase for 2024. Since 2020, the overtime budget has increased 61% from 1.7 million to 2.75 million. The overall budget for the Arlington Fire District has increased from 18.4 million to 25 million since 2020 exceeding the tax cap three out of the last four years.
👨🚒 The most striking figure reported by the Arlington Fire District reveals that 90% of the 2024 budget, totaling $25 million, is allocated to firefighter compensation and benefits. Additionally, the district's top ten active employees earned well over a million dollars collectively, including overtime. See the image below for details.
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