#7 Introduce ordinance to establish Fire Department emergency response fees (File Ord. #2010-448)
JANESVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT MEMORANDUM
January 14, 2010
TO: City Council
FROM: Gerry Luiting – Deputy Fire Chief
SUBJECT: Introduce and Schedule a Public Hearing on a Proposed Ordinance
Establishing Fire Department Emergency Response Fees
(File Ord. No. 2010-448)
Summary:
Total emergency services response activity to incidents continues to increase each
year. The costs associated with providing those services also continue to grow while
revenues continue to fall. This proposed ordinance provides a mechanism to recover
some costs of providing emergency services from the users instead of increasing
property taxes. The adoption of an ordinance is necessary to charge for these fees. An
attached appendix provides some samples of these billable emergency responses.
Recommendation:
The Fire Department supports the proposed ordinance which will allow the Fire
Department to bill residents and non-residents for emergency response fees. The Fire
Department intends to initially only bill for motor vehicle accidents and vehicle fires.
Adoption of this proposed ordinance also provides the opportunity for the Fire
Department to bill in the future for additional emergency response fees without the need
for an additional ordinance.
City Manager Recommendation:
Consistent with the approval of the budget, the City Manager recommends approval of
the ordinance.
Suggested Motion:
Move to adopt Ordinance 2010-448, an ordinance establishing a program to charge
user fees for the rendering of emergency services by the Janesville Fire Department.
Background:
Total emergency services response activity to incidents continues to increase each
year. The costs associated with providing those services have, and continue to grow, at
a rate exceeding that of the growth of revenues to provide these services involving
equipment and training. This creates additional demands on all operational aspects of
the fire department services. The fire department has explored different methods to
maintain a high level of quality in emergency service capability throughout times of
constantly increasing service demands. Raising property taxes to meet the increase in
service demands is not necessarily fair to the property owners, when many motor
vehicle incidents and other emergency services involve individuals not owning property
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or paying taxes in the fire department’s service area. An option is to bill the user of the
emergency service and their respective insurance company. The ability of the fire
department to effectively respond decreases the liability of insurance companies by
saving lives and minimizing property and environmental damage.
Analysis:
Using 2008 response data, potentially $75,000 could be collected for motor vehicle
accidents and motor vehicle fires. A specialized billing company, such as Fire Recovery
USA LLC, would be utilized for billing and collections. Other area Fire Departments are
currently billing for a variety of emergency responses including Milton, Edgerton, Town
of Beloit, Orfordville, Footville, and City of Beloit.
Deputy Chief Gerry Luiting will be in attendance at the Council meeting to answer any
questions on this proposal that the Council may have.
cc: Eric J. Levitt, City Manager
Jay Winzenz, Director of Administrative Services/Assistant City Manager
Chief Grorud, Fire Chief
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Appendix A
Sample Billable Emergency Responses
MOTOR VEHICLE INCIDENTS
Level 1
Provide hazardous materials assessment and scene stabilization. This will be the most
common billing level. This occurs almost every time the fire department responds to an
accident/incident.
Level 2
Includes Level 1 services as well as clean up and material used (absorbents) for
hazardous fluid clean up and disposal. We will bill at this level if the fire department has
to clean up any gasoline or other automotive fluids that are spilled as a result of the
accident/incident.
Level 3 – CAR FIRE
Provide scene safety, fire suppression, breathing air, rescue tools, hand tools, hose, tip
use, foam, structure protection, and clean up gasoline or other automotive fluids that are
spilled as a result of the accident/incident.
Level 4
Includes Level 1 & 2 services as well as extrication (heavy rescue tools, ropes, airbags,
cribbing etc.). We will bill at this level if the fire department has to free/remove anyone
from the vehicle(s) using any equipment. We will not bill at this level if the patient is
simply unconscious and fire department is able to open the door to access the patient.
This level is to be billed only if equipment is deployed.
Level 5
Includes Levels 1, 2, & 4 services as well as Air Care (multi-engine company response,
mutual aid, helicopter). We will bill at this level any time a helicopter is utilized to
transport the patient(s).
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Level 1
Basic Response;
billing will include engine response, first responder assignment,
perimeter establishment, evacuations, set-up and command.
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Level 2
Intermediate Response
; billing will include engine response, first responder
assignment, hazmat certified team and appropriate equipment, perimeter establishment,
evacuations, set-up and command, Level A or B suit donning, breathing air and
detection equipment. Set-up and removal of decontamination center.
Level 3
Advanced Response
; billing will include engine response, first responder assignment,
hazmat certified team and appropriate equipment, perimeter establishment,
evacuations, first responder set-up and command, Level A or B suit donning, breathing
air and detection equipment and robot deployment. Set-up and removal of
decontamination center, detection equipment, recovery and identification of material.
Disposal and environment clean up. Includes above in addition to any disposal fees of
material and contaminated equipment and material used at scene.
PIPELINE INCIDENTS / POWER LINE INCIDENTS
(Includes, but not limited to: Gas, Sewer, Septic to Sewer, and Water Pipelines)
Level 1
Basic Response;
billing will include engine response and first responder assignment,
perimeter establishment, evacuations, first responder set-up and command. Pipeline
inspection without damage or breakage.
Level 2
Intermediate Response
; billing will include engine response, first responder
assignment, and appropriate equipment, perimeter establishment, evacuations, first
responder set-up and command. May include HAZMAT team, Level A or B suit
donning, breathing air and detection equipment. Supervise and/or assist pipeline repair.
Level 3 – Itemized Billing Charges
Advanced Response
; billing will include engine response, first responder assignment,
and appropriate equipment, perimeter establishment, evacuations, first responder set-
up and command. May include HAZMAT team, Level A or B suit donning, breathing air
and detection equipment. Supervise and/or assist pipeline repair of intermediate to
major pipeline damage. May include set-up and removal of decontamination center,
detection, recovery and identification of material. Disposal and environment clean up.
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FIRE INVESTIGATION
Fire Investigation Team
Includes:
• Scene Safety
• Investigation
• Source Identification
• K-9/Arson Dog Unit
• Identification Equipment
• Mobile Detection Unit
• Fire Report
The billing begins when the Fire Investigator responds to the incident and is
billed for logged time only.
WATER INCIDENTS
Level 1
Shore Based Response;
billing will include engine response, first responder
assignment, perimeter establishment, evacuations, first responder set-up and
command, scene safety and investigation (including possible patient contact, hazard
control, materials utilized). This will be the most common billing level. This occurs
almost every time the Fire Department responds to a water incident.
Level 2
Surface Water Response
; includes Level 1 services as well as using rescue boat(s).
This occurs frequently when the Fire Department responds to a water incident.
Level 3
Diver Response
; includes Level 1 and Level 2 services as well as engine response,
first responder assignment, dive certified team and appropriate equipment, perimeter
establishment, set-up and command, and breathing air. Each incident will be billed with
custom billing rates deemed usual, customary and reasonable (UCR).
Level 4
Recovery Response;
may include Level 1 - 3 services. You have the option to bill each
incident as an independent event with custom billing rates for each incident using
itemized rates deemed usual, customary and reasonable (UCR). These incidents will be
billed, itemized, per trained rescue person, plus rescue products used.
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TECH RESCUE
Itemized Response:
each incident will be billed with custom billing rates deemed usual,
customary and reasonable (UCR). These incidents will be billed, itemized per apparatus
per hour, per trained rescue person per hour, plus rescue products used.
CHIEF RESPONSE
This includes the set-up of Command, and providing direction of the incident. This could
include operations, safety, and administration of the incident.
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ORDINANCE NO. 2010- 448
An Ordinance establishing a program to charge user fees for the rendering of Emergency
Services by the City of Janesville Fire Department.
THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JANESVILLE DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION I.
Chapter 8.28 of the Code of General Ordinances of the City of Janesville
is hereby created to read as follows:
CHAPTER 8
FIRE DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY SERVICE RESPONSE FEES
8.28.010 Purpose.
8.28.020 Emergency Services Response – Fee.
8.28.010Purpose.
In order to continue to provide quality emergency services
responses while minimizing the cost to the property taxpayer by recovering certain costs,
expenses, and fees from the users of those rendered emergency services, the Janesville Common
Council hereby desire and create a fair and equitable procedure to collect user fees for
emergency services responses provided by the Janesville Fire Department.
8.28.020 Emergency services response – Fee.
A.
“Emergency services response” is any event in which the Janesville Fire
Department is required to and/or does respond and take action. Emergency services include, but
are not limited to, Fire Service and Emergency Medical Service.
B.
Every person, firm, corporation, and/or other entity who requires, receives, and/or
is provided an emergency service response by the Janesville Fire Department shall be
responsible for reimbursement for, and shall pay to the City of Janesville, any and all direct and
indirect expenses, costs, fees, and payments incurred by the City of Janesville arising from
and/or pertaining to the Fire Department in carrying out its duties in providing an emergency
services response.
C.
Such emergency services response(s) rendered include, but are not limited to:
motor vehicle incidents, car fires, hazardous materials incidents, pipeline and power line
incidents, water incidents, transport, and fire investigations.
D.
The fee(s) shall be annually set by the Fire Chief based upon the previous year’s
actual costs as adjusted by the projected year’s service expenses, and shall be charged to the
user(s) on a proportional basis.
ADOPTED: Motion by:
Second by:
Councilmember Aye Nay Pass Absent
APPROVED:
Brunner
Loasching
McDonald
Eric J. Levitt, City Manager
Rashkin
Steeber
Truman
ATTEST:
Voskuil
Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney
Proposed by: Fire Department
Prepared by: Assistant City Attorney & City
Attorney