fire dept billing for accident?

[vital]

my friend got in a motorcycle accident in CA and the fire department billed him $1k.. isn't this what taxes are for?

 

[DainBramaged]

lol pwnt

 

[QurazyQuisp]

Some of the townships around me have been doing this as well, I'm not sure exactly their reasoning for doing it.

 

[randay]

tbh, i woulda just left my wang jarred in the windowsill and saved myself $1000 big ones.

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Seriously, I know this is for P&N, but out country is in a crisis.

 

[QED]

It's becoming quite common anymore.

One city near here begain doing the same thing-- their fire and police department were logging major overtime attending to traffics accidents-- most of which involved people who do not live or work in the city (and hence don't pay city taxes). There reasoning was-- why should the city residents pay for services used by others who don't pay for it?

In any case, typically the insurance company will pick up the city expense tab...

 

[nakedfrog]

I just read that a local town increased their fee from $350 to $500.

 

[Farang]

I'm going to open 912 and compete

 

[Baked]

Don't get into accidents then. Fire engines use premium gas, it gets expensive when they have to drive around saving dumbasses who got their dicks stuck in weird places.

 

[Aimster]

Shouldn't car insurance cover this?

 

[bctbct]

I think most auto policies cover up to a certain amount and if the bill exceeds that they usually forgive the rest.

 

[SlickSnake]

Rural fire departments are constantly struggling for funding. Depending on the fire department charter, they may not receive any local tax money at all. Our local fire department receives almost no city funding. But the city is currently paying off the note on the main engine. And they are fixing to fund a new fire station and police building combined. Since we live in a real estate boom area, atm, this new city provided funding in addition to state and federal grants has become a necessity.

About 98% of our cities fire department calls are EMS related. We have a volunteer F.D. and our city has to pay for an ambulance service from a nearby city, by contract and for each emergency ambulance call since they do not have the proper facilities at present to house an ambulance crew full time in the old fire station.

Our city is fixing to start billing insurance to also cover additional expenses that are not presently funded, except out of the strained and puny F.D. budget. Depending on the services rendered, it might include both medical insurance and homeowners or auto insurance billing. But they have not finished putting the computer system and software in place yet to aid this process. But they are working on it.

And a lot of the increased grant money that flowed after September 11 is also starting to dry up. This is going to put an increasing burden on volunteer rural fire departments in the coming years. Either someone has to pay for the services, like rising fuel and equipment costs, or there simply won't be any services available, unfortunately. There are already several nearby fire departments in less prime real estate areas struggling to remain economically viable.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

sure that wasn't for EMT service?