ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- Ambulance costs can be quite hefty and concerns about the cost can sometimes get in the way of people in need of help. However, Odessa Fire Rescue is offering a service aimed at easing those concerns.

It’s called EMS Lifeline; OFR said it’s a subscription service meant to offset the cost of an ambulance ride. For $70 per year, or seven dollars on each monthly water bill, your family can be protected should an emergency arise. We spoke to an OFR spokesman about what the Department hopes to achieve with the service.

“It’s no secret that the finances can cause hardship and that’s not what we want for people who are going through a hard time in their life and have to call an ambulance…it just gives them that peace of mind. You know you can buy it as a gift for a loved one, you can obviously buy it for your own household and that’s kind of how it works, it’s designed for the household in Ector County, anybody that is under that household would go under the subscription,” said Assistant Fire Chief Daniel Chavez.

OFR said a trip to the hospital by ambulance can vary in price, from $500 to nearly $900 per trip. 

If you’d like to subscribe to this service, OFR said it will accept a one-time payment of $70 which can be made during regular business hours at Central Fire, located at 1100 W Second Street. Or, if you live within the City limits, you can pay $7.00 per month on your water bill. To sign up for that option, visit this website.