A proposal to raise the fee charged for fire department medical calls to $400 is now being increased to potentially $600 per call, according to Mayor Vic De Luca.

When De Luca proposed the increase several weeks ago, he said it might go from $300 to $400. But he said research indicates the township currently charges $400 and some other municipalities charge as much as $600.

"We want to find out how they got to those numbers,"  De Luca said about the latest information from township officials, which will be discussed Tuesday. "If we are comfortable, we will take those numbers and some other numbers and introduce it at the next meeting [on May 19]."

De Luca brought up the issue earlier this year and the TC directed Township Administrator Joseph Manning to review fees and find out what other towns were charging.

He said it now appears the going rate is close to $600. But he stressed no final fee decision has been made.

He has said the fire department responds to most medical calls, averages about 1,200 such calls each year, more than the volunteer first aid squad, which handles about 400.

The fee increase is being proposed as the first aid squad, which is on call only five nights per week, is seeking more donations to help reach its $60,000 annual budget. The first aid squad recently requested funding from the township, which does not currently provide funding, but does pay for the first aid squad's ambulance fuel.

The current fire department emergency medical fee raises about $150,000 annually for the township.

Maplewood began charging for such medical responses by the fire department in 2001. Most such fees are covered by medical insurance and medicare or Medicaid.

"If insurance companies are paying $600, that is what we should be charging," De Luca said.