Lincoln council approves ordinance imposing lift-assist fees after nursing-facility data presented

The Lincoln City Council voted Feb. 17 to adopt an ordinance imposing lift-assist fees intended to address repeated nonemergency EMS lift-assist calls.

During discussion Chief Johnson said he had not heard from nursing facilities about the proposal since the prior week. Council member Mister Downs reported outreach he had made to several nursing facilities and provided a small dataset: “In the 2025, there was 22 falls. 10 of them required lift assist,” he said, explaining those calls occurred when no one was available to assess the resident after a fall.

Council members pressed staff on how calls are categorized by dispatch and how billing would be handled. Chief Johnson said dispatch uses response categories (alpha, bravo, charlie) and that the fire department only controls its own response; he also said previously problematic patterns prompted consideration of a fee to deter misuse. Councilors discussed the mechanics of billing, whether facility software could be used for invoicing and the clerk’s role in receiving payments.

Vote: Alderman Bateman moved the ordinance; Alderman Anderson seconded. A roll call resulted in eight Yes votes and the ordinance passed.