San Jose Fire will start charging a first responder fee for emergency medical care

City leaders have approved a fee program allowing the San Jose Fire Department’s emergency medical services to collect payments from people they treat.

Fire Chief Robert Sapien said San Jose needs to join the 23 fire agencies across California that already have first responder fees for people using the fire department’s emergency medical services. While such services only represent about 16% of the fire department’s total operating budget, demand for emergency medical care significantly increased after the COVID-19 pandemic — with 911 incidents reaching all-time highs since 2022. Approved unanimously by the City Council Tuesday, the fire department will be able to bill $427 for emergency medical care starting Jan. 1, 2026.