Rural Metro to begin charging non-subscribers $600 for medical response

By Mike Steely

Rural Metro Fire Chief Jeff Devlin announced that beginning in mid-April, there will be a charge of $600 for medical call response for non-subscribers in Knox County. Speaking at the Knox County Commission agenda review meeting last week, Devlin said that the company has been responding to non-subscriber medical calls at no charge since 1977.

The fire chief said the goal is to get people to subscribe to full fire and medical service and that the $600 charge would be waived if they did. He said that medical response takes up much of their calls and that current subscribers for fire protection in the county are not and will not be charged the fee.
Subscription rates increased by 5% this year, but Devlin said no further increases are anticipated. He said the policy may not include renters, but the landlord would be billed. He said a policy is also being developed for homeowner associations.