BRUNSWICK —  Brunswick Emergency Medical Services can now bill patient-care facilities who call first responders to get help lifting and moving patients or residents — calls that Fire Chief Kenneth Brillant said tie up valuable resources and increase risk of injury to firefighters.

As it stands, many long-term care facilities have “no lift” policies, meaning that if a patient falls, staff is instructed not to lift the person up, but instead call 911. When those calls come in, first responders come in, evaluate the patient and then put them back into bed or on a chair, Brillant told the council in a memo. These calls have increased over the past year. “No lift” policies are typically adopted for insurance reasons and to reduce the risk of injuring staff at the facility.

Until now, an ordinance had the emergency medical services bill the patient $160 for a call in which no one is taken to the hospital, but not the facility that requested the service. Under the amended ordinance, EMS can bill the facility $500 per lift assist. This does not apply to private citizens who fall in their homes or people in independent living establishments; they will continue to be billed at the non-transport rate, Brillant said.

He told councilors that these calls have resulted in strained backs and can take two people away from regular duties at the fire department, leaving them unavailable to respond to other emergencies.

“We question whether a facility or individual charged with, and profiting from, a person’s care should be incentivized to shift this risk to us through the use of our emergency services, especially when those calls potentially divert us from more urgent ones,” he wrote.

Brillant said Tuesday that he did not have exact numbers for the lift assist calls last year, but that he has seen an uptick.

Councilor Jane Millett said she found it surprising and hard to believe that facilities involved with long-term care would not have the equipment and trained personnel to lift someone.

Brillant said he hopes the fee will act as an incentive for businesses to change their policies or get the staff and equipment to handle the situations as they arise.

Calls to several local care facilities weren’t returned Tuesday.

hlaclaire@timesrecord.com