Decatur City Council to vote on charging private care providers for firefighter lift assists
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — The Decatur City Council is meeting Tuesday evening, where they will vote on an ordinance for the Decatur Fire Department to start charging for lift assist services at congregate care facilities as well as discussing plans for Eldorado Street.
If the ordinance is approved, the Decatur Fire Department would charge at least $500 per lift assist call to commercial facilities like assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The ordinance is to dissuade private care providers from calling the Fire Department to move people lying on the floor.
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In a memo to the mayor, City Manager Scott Wrighton and Decatur Fire Chief Jeff note responding to lift requests often takes them away from emergencies, and gives firefighters additional liability.
“If patients are paying for care, it should include lift-assists by the care facilities personnel,” part of the memo reads. “The city has experienced workers compensation claims as a direct result of lift assists.”
City officials noted have lift request to the fire department calls ballooned over the years, with 430 in 2014 to 1029 in 2023. Lift requests at congregate care facilities in the city have more than doubled in 10 years.
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Decatur City Council will also hear ideas on adding improvements to El Dorado Street between the Illinois Central Railroad crossing to 19th Street. The Illinois Department of Transportation has told city officials they will repave the street in the next five years.
City staff are suggesting to reuse elements from the 2009 downtown streetscape projects like the same curb & gutter configuration, the same colored brick behind the curbs, the same street lighting, the addition of suitable ROW trees, some decorative fencing as appropriate, and wider pedestrian corridors.
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