News+Articles

=Teen fined $25,000 for cost of NH mountain rescue=

By HOLLY RAMER, AP 5 hours ago Loading... 7/17/09
CONCORD, N.H. — A Massachusetts teenager who spent three nights alone on Mount Washington in April after he sprained an ankle and veered off marked trails has been fined more than $25,000 for the cost of his rescue. Scott Mason had been praised for utilizing his Eagle Scout skills — sleeping in the crevice of a boulder and jump-starting fires with hand sanitzer gel. But authorities say he wasn't prepared for the conditions he encountered and shouldn't have set out on such an ambitious hike. "Yes, he'd been out there in July when you could step across the brooks. And people have been out there in winter in hard-packed snow. But with these spring conditions, it was soft snow, it was deep snow," said Fish and Game Maj. Tim Acerno. Acerno said he believes Mason's fine is the largest ever sought under a 9-year-old New Hampshire law that allows lost hikers and climbers to be charged for rescue costs. Mason's rescue was particularly expensive because the helicopters the state typically used were unavailable, and a helicopter from Maine had to be brought in, Acerno said. Mason, 17, of Halifax, Mass., had planned to spend one day hiking 17 miles in the New Hampshire mountains but ended up lost after he hurt his ankle and decided to take a shortcut. The shortcut led him into rising water and deep snow caused by unseasonably warm weather. Mason was negligent in continuing up the mountain with an injury and veering off the marked path, Acerno said. Negligence, he said, is based on judging what a reasonable person would do in the same situation. "When I twist my ankle, I turn around and come down. He kept going up," Acerno said. "It was his negligence that led to him getting into that predicament," he said. "Once he was in that predicament, yes, that's what we praise him for — he used his Boy Scout skills, and that's why he's still alive." Several states, including neighboring Maine and Vermont, have rescue repayment laws similiar to New Hampshire, though others tend to be more lenient. In Washington state, a bill that would have created a reimbursement system with fines capped at $500 never even made it out of committee this year. In New Hampshire, however, lawmakers made it even easier to charge for rescues last year when they changed the law to allow fines for those who acted negligently instead of the harder to prove standard of recklessness. New Hampshire officials have estimated that they could seek reimbursement in about 40 of the 140 or so rescues it typically handles each year. The money goes to the Fish and Game department's rescue fund. In most cases, hikers pay a few hundred dollars. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, there were 131 missions that cost $175,320, Acerno said. He did not know how many of them resulted in fines. Mason's family said they would not comment on the bill, which was mailed July 10. Mason has until August 9 to pay the bill; he could also take the state to court to contest the fine.

=Venice considers fire service fee=

The change from a property tax would align city with North Port and Sarasota
By Kim Hackett

Published: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at 2:09 a.m. VENICE -- The city may charge a fee for fire protection rather than including the cost in its property tax. The City Council voted 5 to 2 Tuesday to consider the change, which would align it with the way North Port and Sarasota pay for their fire service. Council members Rick Tacy and Sue Lang voted against the idea. Supporters said a fee-based system would be more fair. Currently, people who own houses and businesses carry the cost of running the fire and emergency medical services department because they pay taxes based on the value of their property. Churches and some mobile home owners do not pay for fire service. Many mobile home owners pay a vehicle fee instead of ad valorem taxes, while churches are exempt because of their nonprofit status. Under a fee structure, all single-family homes would be charged $182 a year, regardless of size. Businesses and churches could pay based on square footage and use. While the average office would pay 29 cents per square foot, long-term care facilities would pay four times that amount. If Venice changes how it funds its service, including three fire stations, it would lower the fee paid by some homeowners and raise it for others because it would be a flat fee instead of being based on the value of a home, said City Manager Marty Black. "The advantage is that it allows us to charge those who use it most," said City Manager Marty Black. He added that long-term care facilities are the largest users of fire service. Details have not been worked out, and the council has not approved any changes yet. The council had to decide whether to even consider the issue to keep its options open. It had to notify the county by the end of the year to reserve space on next year's tax bills for the potential fee. "It's a tool," Black said. "And if we don't keep it in our tool box, we lose the option." He said the council has the option of exempting nonprofits from the fire fee. "It's a complex issue and we need to have a series of public workshops," Black said. The looming property tax reduction referendum motivated the city to consider the change. Should state voters approve the tax proposal Jan. 29, Black said, it could cost the city as much as $1 million in tax revenue. Because fire service consumes about 21 percent of the city's $24 million operating budget, the council would have to otherwise consider layoffs and other measures to reduce costs. The state's property tax reductions do not affect fees cities can charge. That is why fees for parks and other amenities are going up throughout the county. "It's forcing municipalities to get creative," Black said. The fire fee could only be used for fire department costs, Black said. If the council decides to charge a fire fee, people would see their tax bills next November.

This story appeared in print on page BV1 []

=Charging For Fire Services, A Year Later= [|Print This Post] February 5, 2009 by [|Estes Park News] //**By Jacqueline Halburnt ~ Town Administrator**// In 2008, the town of Estes Park began charging County residents for fire services including structural fires, motor vehicle accidents and odor investigations. An option is given to county residents to pay a $130 subscription fee. If the fee isn’t paid, and an incident occurs, a bill will be sent for services rendered based upon equipment usage and total response hours. One of the most common questions asked by County residents is, “How much will an incident cost if I don’t pay the optional fee?” It’s still impossible to say how much an incident will cost due the variables involved, such as, how many firefighters are needed and how long will they be on site? Although it’s still impossible to predict, the town now has a year’s worth of data to share. In 2008, there were 13 bills sent out to people who did not pay the optional subscription fee. Nine of the incidents were for motor vehicle accidents and the bills ranged from $703-$2,906 per incident. Two bills were for fires: $2,299 for a room and contents fire and $12,563 for a structure fire; one bill of $2,906 was for a vehicle fire and the lowest bill was $149 for a carbon monoxide detector alarm. When firefighters leave the scene of an incident, their work is not done. Several things have to occur before the vehicles and equipment are ready to respond to the next incident. Firefighters may spend up to several hours at the fire station getting equipment and vehicles back in service, depending upon the incident. The vehicles are thoroughly washed. The smoke from fire deposits a residue of carcinogens. These need to be cleaned off so that children and other visitors to the station, as well as firefighters, are not exposed to harmful materials. The vehicles are also exposed to corrosive agents. The vehicles are worth several hundred thousand dollars, and the corrosives need to be cleaned to extend the safe service lives of the vehicles. The engines and tenders are also re-filled with water and fuel. If firefighting foam was used, all of the lines, hose, and pumps must be flushed clean. All of the hose that was used is pulled off of the trucks and replaced with clean hose. This can be up to 1000 feet or more, depending on the incident. The used hose is then washed, inspected, and dried. If inspection reveals possible damage, the hose must be pressure tested before being placed back in service. All of the tools that were used also are cleaned and inspected for damage. Cutting edges may need to be re-sharpened. Ladders that were used are checked for heat damage, frayed halyards (ropes), and loose rivets and rungs. The Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) bottles are re-filled. The packs that the bottles attach to are inspected for damage and cleaned. The face masks are inspected for cracks due to heat or impact and are sanitized. Once the bottles are re-filled they are attached to the packs and a function check is performed to ensure everything is working properly. If the air cascade system on the Squad was used it must be re-filled, a process that can take a few hours. A report of the incident is written. This can be done quickly for some incidents; other incidents require research of public records, investigation, and coordination with cooperating agencies. Two proposed fire districts failed at elections in 2004 and 2006, at which time the town said it would have to implement a “charge for fire services” to county residents to recoup some of the costs associated with responding to emergencies in the county. The Estes Valley area of the county received free fire services from the town for years, but the town could not continue to afford to give away these services. Every other area of Larimer County is either services by a fire district, a volunteer department relying on donations, or mutual aid response agreements from other agencies. The equipment hourly rate is based upon the Colorado State Forest Service Cooperator Agreement. For 2009, depending upon the type of equipment needed to respond to an emergency, the hourly equipment rate will range from $65-$121 per hour. The response hourly rate is based upon the prior year’s personnel budget divided by the prior year’s response hours. For 2009, it is $113/per hour ($315,491 personnel budget/2797 response hours). The hourly rate is not be based on the number of fires in the Estes Valley Area, but rather to offset the cost of the fire department’s ability to be prepared to respond to an incident. The majority of the Fire Department’s funding still comes from the Town of Estes Park’s general fund. In 2008, the town’s general fund transferred $921,027 to the fire special revenue account, which included the cost of a new fire truck. In 2009, the town’s general fund will transfer $435,000 to this account. A Fire Services Task Force, made up of town and county residents, recently proposed a Fire District for the Estes Valley. The proposed district’s funding would come from a 1.9 mil levy to all property owners in the district in addition to 7% of the town’s sales tax on an annual basis. The district must be approved by voters in November before it could take effect. If a Fire District is approved, the town would cease to bill county residents for fire services in 2011. For more information, visit the town’s website at [|www.estes.org/epvfd.aspx] []
 * Post-Incident Work**
 * Why is the Town Charging County Residents?**
 * Charge Calculation**
 * What’s Next?**

=**2007 Press Release: Ambulance Service Fees Initiated May 15, 2007**= For immediate release April 27, 2007 [|Ambulance Service Fees Flyer] || || The following release is being provided by the City of Des Plaines to help explain the Ambulance Service Fee: Due to the recent passage of Ordinance M-12-07 by the Des Plaines City Council, residents requiring emergency ambulance transport in the City of Des Plaines will be billed an Ambulance Service Fee. (Non-residents have been charged since 1995.) Charges for basic life support (BLS) calls, advanced life support (ALS) calls and additional appropriate itemized expenses will be collected as of May 15, 2007. According to the City Ordinance, "An ambulance transportation fee is established for the purpose of defraying a portion of the costs involved with the transportation of persons by a Des Plaines Fire Department ambulance…" With the adoption of the ordinance, a fee of $400 for resident BLS calls and $450 for non-resident BLS calls will be charged. The fee for resident ALS calls, those requiring more extensive emergency care, is $500 for residents and $550 for non-residents. Along with ambulance transport fees, the following itemized expenses may be applied if applicable to the emergency response: Mileage, $10; Oxygen, $50; EKG, $50; IV, $50 and Immobilization, $100. Most insurance companies (Medicare and Non-Medicare providers) pay benefits on behalf of their customers in order to cover the cost of pre-hospital emergency medical care including Ambulance Service Fees. Individuals who require transport, but do not have insurance coverage and do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, will be assessed the Ambulance Service Fee as specified by the Ordinance. City Manager David Niemeyer reminds individuals: "Please call Medical Reimbursement, Inc. (773-233-5587), the City’s billing service for Ambulance Service Fees, with individual insurance concerns or if you are concerned about payment if you do not have insurance, Medicare or Medicaid." Des Plaines Fire Chief John Heavey stresses the importance of reporting and responding to emergencies: "Individuals should never hesitate to call 9-1-1 if you are in an emergency situation and require an ambulance- protecting your health and safety is the function and service of the Fire Department and it is a service we take pride in. The Ambulance Service Fee should not deter anyone from calling us for emergency care," Des Plaines Fire Chief John Heavey said. Once an individual has received ambulance service, Medical Reimbursement, Inc. will invoice the individual’s insurance carrier. The user will receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from the insurance company explaining the portion of the Ambulance Service Fee that they will pay. The portion of the Ambulance Service Fee the insurance provider will pay is considered a "usual and customary cost" for providing pre-hospital care. Any portion of the fee in excess of the "usual and customary" cost paid by your insurance carrier will be considered a co-payment amount. An informational brochure regarding the Ambulance Service Fees, compiled by the City, will be distributed to residents with the citywide newsletter, the //Des Plaines Digest//, in mid-May prior to the onset of billing. Information will also be put on the City’s website. Many suburban communities, including Evanston, Glencoe, Park Ridge, Highland Park, Niles, Northbrook, Prospect Heights, Skokie, Wilmette, and Winnetka, have Ambulance Service Fees with costs comparable to those of Des Plaines. The overall cost of ambulance services in Des Plaines will depend on the level of service provided appropriate to the person’s needs, as judged necessary by the paramedics on the scene in consultation with a nearby hospital’s emergency room physician. Individual fees for materials or services rendered during an ambulance call will be itemized and provided to the insurance company along with the invoice. According to City Manager Niemeyer, the Ambulance Service Fee was determined by the City’s consultant and is comparable to other northern Illinois communities’ rates. "Many communities, including Des Plaines, have come to realize the value of assessing a user fee as a valuable means of continuing to provide the highest quality emergency medical care to the community. Des Plaines originally began billing non-residents for ambulance transport in 1995," Niemeyer said. Niemeyer emphasizes the importance of calling 9-1-1 for medical emergency transport and encourages individuals with questions regarding Ambulance Service Fees to call 773-233-5587 or emailing the City’s website at www.desplaines.org. []