Westfield Fire Department Reduces Residential Care Facility Calls by 25%

New city ordinance fines facilities for non-emergency ambulance calls, freeing up resources for actual emergencies.

Feb. 6, 2026 at 7:23pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Westfield Fire Department has successfully reduced calls from residential care facilities by 25% after a new city ordinance enabled fines for extended care facilities that frequently call for ambulances when transport isn't actually needed. This has helped free up resources and reduce response times for actual emergencies, though the department's overall call volume has still increased.

Why it matters

Unnecessary ambulance calls from residential care facilities were diverting resources and increasing response times for other emergencies in Westfield. The new ordinance provides an incentive for these facilities to better evaluate when an ambulance is truly needed, benefiting both the fire department and the facilities themselves.

The details

The July city ordinance enables fines for extended care facilities that make frequent non-emergency calls for ambulances. Since the ordinance passed, the Westfield Fire Department has seen a 25% reduction in calls from these facilities. However, the department's overall call volume has still increased by 12%. To further reduce unnecessary calls, the department sends a community paramedic to work with facilities on determining when an ambulance is truly required.

  • In July 2026, Westfield passed a city ordinance enabling fines for extended care facilities that make frequent non-emergency ambulance calls.
  • Since the ordinance was passed, the Westfield Fire Department has seen a 25% reduction in calls from residential care facilities.

The players

Westfield Fire Department

The fire department serving the city of Westfield, Indiana, which has worked to reduce non-emergency calls from residential care facilities through a new city ordinance.

Lieutenant Ryan Herron

The Public Information Officer for the Westfield Fire Department, who explained the impact of the new ordinance and the department's efforts to work with facilities on determining when an ambulance is truly needed.

Walter Rippy

The Westfield Fire Department's community paramedic, who visits residential care facilities to educate them on when to call 911 for an ambulance.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Anytime we would respond to a non-emergent call where we didn't have to transport somebody, that's taken an ambulance out of service for the city.”

— Lieutenant Ryan Herron, Public Information Officer, Westfield Fire Department (wrtv.com)

“That 25% reduction is impressive when you consider just the short proportion of the year that some of those policies were in effect. People saw incentives, and they reacted to them.”

— City Official (wrtv.com)

“We send our community paramedic, Walter Rippy, into the facilities to work with them on; can this be handled in-house? Do you actually need an ambulance transport? It's beneficial for everyone.”

— Lieutenant Ryan Herron, Public Information Officer, Westfield Fire Department (wrtv.com)

What’s next

The Westfield Fire Department will continue to work with residential care facilities to educate them on when to call 911 for an ambulance, with the goal of further reducing non-emergency calls and freeing up resources for actual emergencies.

The takeaway

By implementing a city ordinance that fines residential care facilities for unnecessary ambulance calls, the Westfield Fire Department has been able to significantly reduce non-emergency responses, allowing them to better focus on true emergencies and improve overall public safety in the community.