AIKEN --- The high price of diesel fuel is forcing emergency medical services in Aiken County to implement new fees.

The Aiken County Department of Emergency Services recently announced that it would start charging a $35 fee if it responds to a 911 call and the patient refuses to be taken to a hospital.

"Every 911 call, we interpret as a call for transport," said Cindy Brazier of the county EMS. "But some call us and have no intention of going to the hospital, or they change their mind."

From Aug. 1, 2007, to Aug. 1 of this year, EMS' eight ambulances responded to 17,366 calls in an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. In about 3,400 of those cases, no one was taken to a hospital.

Ms. Brazier said that in about 30 percent of those cases EMS was not requested but automatically responded. The $35 fee will not be charged in such cases. Those who request an ambulance but do not accept the ride will be charged the fee.

Gold Cross, a privately run EMS service for Richmond and Columbia counties, does not charge a fee for patients who refuse to be taken to the hospital, but Chief Executive Officer Tom Schneider said the company is feeling the pain of high fuel prices.

"But like everyone else, we're trying to find ways to cut back where we can, but you're limited in just exactly what you can do," he said.

In Aiken County, the fee to transport a patient to the hospital ranges from $280 to $750, depending on the situation.

"We thought $35 isn't exorbitant," Ms. Brazier said.

The county ambulances use diesel fuel, which in the past year has skyrocketed, with Wednesday's national average at $4.27 a gallon, up from $2.93 a year ago, according to AAA.

Because of that and the number of calls EMS was responding to, the department exceeded its budget for fuel for fiscal year 2007-08. Ms. Brazier said that at the end of the third quarter the department was nearly $55,000 over its $130,000 fuel budget.

The EMS department received $200,000 for fuel for the entire fiscal year, which started July 1. From the start of this fiscal year to the end of August, it had spent $41,150 on fuel for its eight ambulances, which get eight to 10 miles to the gallon.

Aiken County EMS isn't the only emergency service agency to raise its fees in response to high gas prices.

Several Aiken County volunteer fire departments, whose vehicles also require diesel fuel, recently increased annual fire fees, in some cases by more than 190 percent.