Sterling among cities to receive funding for emergency services

STERLING HEIGHTS — The city of Sterling Heights was among several metro Detroit communities given federal funding for emergency services.

Sterling Heights, Madison Heights and Dearborn, as well as Detroit, are among the cities that will benefit from the adoption of House Bill 5696, a bill passed recently by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that provides access for over $70 million for city-run ambulance services across Michigan.

Mayor Michael Taylor said he expects Sterling Heights to receive $1 million, which will go towards paying for more paramedics. It will allow the Fire Department to be adequately staffed during peak hours.

“It’s very important federal funding. It’s a very important service to the community to be able to respond to those emergencies,” he said.

Taylor said the Fire Department normally has firefighters that work 24-hour shifts but with the funding, they’ll be able to hire paramedics that will respond to calls during higher traffic hours but won’t be working 24-hour shifts.

“It’s a big change for the Fire Department,” Taylor said. “This federal funding is going to help make sure that we can pay for that and provide that service and enhance the level of service to the community.”

According to Sterling Heights Fire Chief Kevin Edmond, the city currently employs 110 firefighter paramedics but has committed to hiring four new firefighters or emergency medical technicians for 40 hours a week.

While the funds can be used to hire personnel or purchase new equipment, they will also go towards reimbursing the city for any Medicaid patient transports. According to Edmond, it costs an estimated $1,600 to transport a Medicaid patient, and the government only reimburses about $300, he said.

“The ambulance supplement payment program is used in many states to help cover a percentage of the uncompensated cost for these transports,” Edmond said. “The ambulance supplemental payment system is very similar to what hospitals and school districts have used to cover their uncompensated costs for years.”

Before the city receives the money, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is required to submit a state plan amendment to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that describes how the program will work in Michigan, Edmond said. When the SPA is submitted, it has a starting date beginning in the quarter in which it was submitted. For example, if it gets submitted in September 2025, the start date of the program would be July 1, or the start of the third quarter, he said.

Based on this process, Edmond said the city has committed to hiring additional staff by the summer.

State Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park, who sponsored the bill in Michigan, said he sponsored it to help fill gaps in funding in Michigan cities.

“Increasing local revenue without raising taxes is a focus of mine since local government budgets are tight due to continued reductions in state revenue sharing,” he said. “Communities across the state have the potential to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in reimbursements from the federal government without an increased tax burden. This bipartisan legislation is a huge win for local governments, first responders and taxpayers.”