FireMed is a program of the three fire departments that provide ambulance service in central Lane County: City of Eugene, Fire & EMS Department, Lane Rural Fire/Rescue District, and City of Springfield, Fire & Life Safety Department.
The cities of Eugene and Springfield started providing ambulance service in 1981 and by 1985 were awarded The EMT-Paramedic Emergency Service of the Year Award by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians.
As the two cities were building this high-performance emergency medical system, they learned that many seriously injured or ill people arrived at hospital emergency rooms without using an ambulance. Since in almost every case medical care happens faster when paramedics are called, this was a big concern. Part of the problem turned out to be a fear of the cost of an ambulance.
The Cities created FireMed to allow residents to pay a small amount every year to receive ambulance service with no bill. An early example of true health care reform, FireMed increased access to high quality medical care while decreasing the cost to patients. Later the Cities discovered that the reform went further. As the program grew it started providing extra funding after covering the costs of member ambulance transports that was used to improve service.
By 2009 membership included about 33,500 households or about 25% of households within the three ambulance service areas. That year the three departments made a combined total of about 22,000 ambulance transports, including about 11,000 FireMed members.
FireMed Administration is currently located at Springfield City Hall, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon 97477. Two permanent staff members operate the program year around, and a small team of temporary workers processes the wave of membership applications received during each annual membership campaign which runs April through June.
Eugene Fire Chief: Randall Groves
Lane Rural Fire Chief: Dale Borland
Springfield Fire Chief: Dennis Murphy
FireMed Director: Bart Noll
FireMed Program Technician: Melanie Gates
Ambulance Fee: $1,800 base rate plus $20 per transport mile
Membership Fee: $62 per year per household for emergency ground ambulance coverage
$97 per year per household for emergency ground plus air ambulance coverage