Wilmington approves ambulance fee increases as Fire Department prepares to resume EMS

Wilmington City Council has approved an ordinance that significantly raises ambulance fees in Wilmington as the city prepares to take over emergency medical services from St. Francis Hospital.

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Ordinance 25-012 passed unanimously among council members present at the May 1 meeting, with 10 votes in favor and three members absent. It updates Section 10-1 of the city code, revising charges for ambulance and related services provided by the Wilmington Fire Department.

Council Member Zanthia Oliver Bracey presented the legislation on behalf of Council Member Shane’ Darby.

“This ordinance is being presented by the administration for council’s review and approval,” Bracey said, explaining that the changes will “increase the rates for basic ambulance service and administration of oxygen, delete the cervical collar rate, and add a loaded mile rate.”

The update is in response to the impending departure of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic’s St. Francis Hospital from EMS service provision. St. Francis has long served as the city’s primary emergency responder, but has informed city officials that it will stop offering EMS to Wilmington residents by June 30, 2025, the end of the current fiscal year.

With that change pending, the city has determined that the Wilmington Fire Department will assume responsibility for EMS operations, an overhaul of the fee structure, which hasn’t been changed since 1994.

Under the revised code:

• The basic ambulance service fee will increase from $135 to $1,000.
• The administration of oxygen will rise from $20 to $30.
• The previously listed $20 charge for a cervical collar will be replaced with a new $25 per loaded mile rate for patient transport.

The updated fees will apply when services are provided to individuals who are insured through private insurers, Medicare, or Medicaid.

According to a fiscal impact statement included in the ordinance, the city estimates it will generate approximately $2.6 million in medical insurance fee revenue during the 2026 fiscal year as a result of the changes.

The ordinance takes effect immediately upon approval by the mayor.