Often not. While ambulance providers are able to bill for the services they provide as an extension of the healthcare system, local first response agencies – such as a police or fire department – often do not receive any type of reimbursement for providing first responder medical care. Many first responders, such as firefighters, are highly trained and nationally licensed as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) or paramedics, and are able to provide life-saving care and interventions prior to the arrival of an ambulance. While a patient may receive a bill – sometimes upwards of thousands of dollars – for reaching care and transportation by an ambulance, typically none of those charges are used to reimburse the local first responder agencies for providing the any type of EMS service.