Frequently Asked Questions

To minimize the impact on Indian River County citizens, it was decided that everyone pays for the availability of the service and patients treated and transported pay for the actual usage of the service. In this way, the taxes necessary to support the ambulance service can be held to a minimum. A user fee is charged to the patient who is treated and/or transported by EMS. Instead of assessing property owners large taxes each year to lower EMS operating costs, user fees help spread out the cost between the taxpayer and the service user.

Rates are applied depending on the level of care required to treat and transport a patient to the hospital. Basic Life Support (BLS) is the lowest level of care administered; typically for a stable patient that does not require sophisticated paramedic level care. Advanced Life Support (ALS) involves a higher level of medical care where, depending on the patient’s condition may require I.V medications, cardiac monitoring, airway management, etc.

Specialty Care Transport $850.00

Indian River County utilizes the services of a third-party billing company, Change Health Care (CHC). They can be reached at the 800-number listed on your bill (800-226-1012.) Please note the payment mailing address goes to our ALS Lockbox at Indian River County ALS, PO Box 850001 Dept. #0669, Orlando, FL 32885-0669. Our administrative offices do not have access to your account but will be happy to assist if you are having issues that are not being rectified by either your insurance company or CHC.

Each patient has the right to choose the hospital destination of choice within Indian River County, providing that the patient is awake, alert and oriented. The exceptions to this rule are as follows:

• Ambulance status: If the Indian River County Fire Rescue Operations Command Staff deems that the call volume in a particular area is too high, transports to hospitals other than the closest facility will be denied. This must be done to ensure that other residents have 911 coverage if needed.
• Change in patient status: A patient may be awake, alert and oriented at the time that transport is initiated, entitling him/her to choose their hospital destination. However, if the patient’s mental/physical status declines during transport, the paramedics will then act in the patient’s best interest and divert to the closest facility.
• Trauma Alert patients: Per State Statute, all patients meeting state approved
• Trauma Alert criteria must be transported to the nearest state approved Trauma facility. 
• County Road 510 is the dividing line for determining ground transportation to the closest facility in Indian River County, as well as Trauma facilities in Brevard and St. Lucie counties. 

No, you are not forced to go the hospital because you called 911. It is often strongly suggested that you go to the hospital, but if you are awake, alert and oriented you have the right to choose whether or not you will be transported via ambulance. If you choose to refuse transport to the hospital, you will be asked to sign a Patient Refusal Form by the paramedics; this releases Indian River County Fire Rescue from liability in the event that your condition deteriorates after refusing transport.

You can assist the paramedics that respond to your emergency by having a complete list of your medical problems, medications and allergies to medications readily available. You may contact Indian River County Fire Rescue at (772) 226-3993 and ask for a Vial of Life. The Vial of Life is a bottle that contains a patient history form which contains the above information. The Vial of Life is then kept in your refrigerator. Just make sure that the vial is visible to the crews when they open your refrigerator door. It is also a good idea to keep a Vial of Life with this information in your automobile as well; you never know where you will be when an emergency happens!

If you have pets, it is a good idea to place them in a secure area or room so that they are not startled by the arrival of our paramedics.

In addition, if you or a loved one has a Florida Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNRO), please ensure that it is available upon the paramedics' arrival. You can present a copy of the DNRO, but a copy must be printed on yellow paper in order for it to be considered valid.

Upon arrival at the hospital, your care will be transferred over to the nursing staff at the hospital facility. Depending on the volume of patients at the hospital, it is possible that you may be sent to the waiting room if you are stable enough - even though you arrived by ambulance. Please remember that the hospitals treat patients utilizing a triage system. This means that the most severely sick or injured patients are seen first.

Indian River County Fire Rescue does not have a “Lost and Found”. Patient belongings are left in the emergency department room with the patient at the time of transfer. The hospitals typically have a Lost and Found area, but not all patients recover the items that had been misplaced. An easy way to ensure that this does not happen to you is to make sure that you only take items that are absolutely necessary with you to the hospital. Remember that the hospitals see large volumes of people each day and it is very easy for items to be lost or accidentally disposed of. Never take your valuables to the hospital with you.

You may contact Indian River County Fire Rescue's EMS Division for either at 772-226-3949 or send an email through the website contact portal.

If you are sharing a story regarding a good experience, or you would like to thank a crew, the Office of EMS will prepare a memo based on your experience which will be placed into the crew members personnel files. These memos will follow the Firemedics for the remainder of their career with Indian River County Fire Rescue.  Your story will also be posted in our in-house quarterly newsletter, The Bugle.

If you call to report a complaint, the call taker will collect your name, contact information and date of service. The incident report, along with your contact information, will be passed on to the appropriate division chief that oversees the crew in question. The division chief will contact you to obtain the specifics of your complaint and he/she will investigate. Before a complaint can be considered closed , the district chief will be in contact with you again to advise you of the findings of his/her investigation. Since our crews work a 24 hour "on"/48 hours off schedule, your complaint may not always be investigated on the exact day that you call it in. It will, however, be investigated upon the crews return to duty.

Pull over to the edge of the roadway, clear of intersections, and stop. Emergency vehicle drivers are taught to pass on the left whenever possible when responding in an emergency mode. When safe, slow down, pull over to the right, and stop. Leave your foot on the brake to let emergency vehicle drivers know you have stopped.

However, there are circumstances where just pulling over to the right may not be possible (if your car is already stopped, and you don't have anywhere to pull over). Simply stay put until the emergency vehicle goes around you. If you are blocking the route of the emergency vehicle, and you are able to pull ahead and over into a clear area, use your turn signal to indicate your intentions, and proceed at a safe speed.

Never slam on the brakes and stop in the middle of the road when you see apparatus approaching. Make no sudden moves. If an emergency vehicle is approaching from the opposite direction, you should pull over and stop. You have no idea if they are proceeding down the road, or are planning on turning into a driveway or intersection right in front of you.

You are not required to slow down or pull over for emergency vehicles that are responding in the opposite direction on a divided highway. Do not tailgate, "draft" or follow a responding apparatus closely. Not only is this illegal, you run the risk of collision as vehicles pull back out into traffic after the emergency vehicle goes by.

Many times, several units are dispatched to the same incident. When the first unit arrives on scene, they may assess the situation and inform the dispatcher they can handle the emergency. All other responding units are then cancelled and put back into service, ready to take another call.

All of the Department’s certified firefighters are either EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) or Paramedic certified, and all apparatus are licensed ALS (Advanced Life Support) equipped units. In the event all rescue units are busy on other emergencies, a fire engine or fire truck is dispatched. Additionally, a rescue and an engine may respond together to provide the appropriate number of personnel on scene based on the type of emergency call.

Yes. Free blood pressure checks are available at the Fire Station. The station is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week; (pending emergency calls); stop by anytime, preferably between morning and evening.

Our Fire Department has a comprehensive approach to fire safety through education provided to business groups, nursing homes, medical facilities, residents, schools, day care centers, and community groups that are in-need of prevention education. Contact the Fire Prevention Office to schedule a fire safety event at (772) 226-1880.

Firefighters do 24-hour shifts. It is common for them to stop on the way back from a 911 call and pick up food so they can cook dinner as a shift. They are usually centrally located at the store and ready to respond if another call comes in.

Many other times our Fire Department vehicles are at local businesses or restaurants on official business such as inspections, performing training or education, or even answering questions or complaints. There are many public services performed by your fire department on a daily basis.

Whenever an emergency situation, whether real or perceived, the best thing to do is to dial ’911’and the dispatcher will have our firefighters come out and check. Historically, delay of notification for such incidents have resulted in very serious outcomes.

Indian River County Fire Rescue does not provide community service or volunteer hours. We do not have any paid volunteers. On the other hand, there is a local non-profit organization known as the Vero Beach Volunteer Fire Department (VBVFD) which assists many of our local youth along their journey to becoming a Firemedic with Indian River County.

Members have the opportunity to serve as volunteers with Indian River County Fire Rescue based upon recommendation by the VBVFD and certification (Fire, EMT, Paramedic.) For more information please visit their website at: https://www.vbfire.org/