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Treatment in Place Fee 

Promotional graphic for the Sun City Fire & Medical Department. The top half shows a fire truck at sunset with the words “KEEPING HELP CLOSE.” The department’s circular logo with the phrase “TREATMENT IN PLACE” is prominently displayed. The bottom half reads “WHY SUN CITY FIRE NEEDS A TREATMENT IN PLACE FEE” in bold white text on a dark blue background. A tilted photo of uniformed firefighters standing in front of two fire engines at Station No. 1 is placed over the text.

Keeping Help Close: Why Sun City Fire Needs a Treatment in Place Fee

Your safety is our top priority. Every day, Sun City Fire and Medical responds to emergency calls that don’t result in hospital transport — but still require a full crew, medical support, and equipment. To keep up with rising demand and protect service quality, we’re introducing a Treatment in Place fee starting July 2025.

  Why Is This Fee Necessary?

  • In 2024, Sun City Fire responded to 13,000+ emergency calls — over 4,000 involved care without transport, averaging 11+ non-transport calls per day.
  • Sun City Fire operates with just 4 trucks — the same number for over 30 years.
  • Each truck handles 3,000+ calls annually, far exceeding national service thresholds.

With no additional revenue, the department can't keep up with these non-transport medical calls. 

The Treatment in Place fee is a solution that protects the long-term health of the entire system and ensures that our first responders can always answer the call when someone calls 911. 

Infographic titled "Fire District Funding Challenges" with three illustrated points: 1) Fire districts rely almost entirely on property taxes, unlike cities with diverse revenue sources. 2) Prop 117 and legislative changes have capped property values, limiting revenue—Sun City Fire's tax base is still below 2007 levels. 3) Expansion of nonprofits like hospitals reduces funding, as they are exempt from property taxes.

What is the Treatment in Place fee?

  • This fee already exists for on-scene medical care (e.g., administering dextrose or narcan); we are now applying it consistently for similar calls.
     
  • A fee of $315.80 will be charged when a person receives medical care or assistance but chooses not to be transported to the hospital.
     
  • The Treatment in Place fee includes services like lift assists, minor falls, blood pressure checks, or basic medical treatment.
     
  • Revenue from this fee will be reinvested locally to hire more trained professionals and expand lifesaving services. By reducing strain on current fire crews, we can maintain response times for other emergencies like heart attacks, strokes, and fires.

How the Fee Helps the Community

Funds from the Treatment in Place fee will be reinvested directly into local emergency services:

  • Hire more paramedics and firefighters to reduce strain and improve coverage
  • Support community programs like fall prevention to reduce future emergencies
  • Maintain fast response times for serious emergencies like heart attacks, strokes, and fires

This is a responsible, fair solution that helps ensure we can respond to every emergency call with the care and speed you expect. 

“We are proud to serve this community and remain committed to transparency, safety, and smart planning. The Treatment in Place fee is one step toward keeping our services strong—today and into the future,”
SCFMD Board Chairman Tim Wilmes
Sun City Fire Board states treatment fee is needed due to increasing calls, relying on property taxes as revenue base.

Daily Independent: Sun City Fire board says treatment fee necessary as calls increase