INNISFAIL – Town council could soon amend the Fire Services Bylaw to recover costs of having the Innisfail Fire Department respond to calls for service at local motor vehicle collisions and fires.
Gary Leith, fire chief for the Town of Innisfail, informed town council at its Agenda & Priorities Meeting on Nov. 20 that his office is currently reviewing the bylaw with a goal of providing “consistencies in fees for services.
“And this could create potential to increase revenue to offset operating costs,” Leith told council during his report to council.
“Within the Town of Innisfail itself, for any motor vehicle collisions we do not currently charge for attendance at those collisions,” he added. “And there's no charge (or) provision even for insured costs for attendance at fires.
“We're quite unique as a town that we currently don't charge people for our services for an accident,” Leith added, noting the Town of Olds does charge for their fire services.
He said the fire department’s cost to attend a motor vehicle accident outside the town on provincial highways is recovered through Alberta Transportation.
“The same in the county, if we respond to a motor vehicle collision in the county on one of the gravel roads, we bill the county who then bills the person,” said Leith.
As for fires, the town’s current Fire Services Bylaw does say it “may” recover such fees or charges as a “debt due” owed to the Town.
The bylaw goes on to say that if the fees or charges are not paid upon demand by the town they "may" be charged against the property’s tax account.
“It's not like 100 per cent of the time. We just don’t go, ‘here’s your bill,” said Leith. “The current draft of the bylaw would say the first hour of response would be free. The majority of calls we go to are less than an hour and therefore we're not charging.
“But a significant call where we're on scene for six, eight and 12 hours then we will go over some costs,” he added, noting the recent fire department action at the now demolished Globe Coliseum building on Main Street.
“The building on Main Street was a significant fire,” said Leith. “We were on scene in excess of 12 hours. There are costs. We brought in support from Penhold; cost was incurred in that for the town.
“This is to have the ability to recover some of those costs,” he added. “The determinants will be the level of service provided, and that will be detailed within the bylaw.
“With a minor motor vehicle collision with little or no damage, it's highly unlikely we would make a charge.”
Most importantly for fires, Leith does not want local citizens ever to hesitate calling the Innisfail Fire Department if there is anxiety over a possible emergency situation.
“We would not want people to think, ’I'm not going to call the fire department because I'm going to get charged. I'm going to receive a bill’. It's always, ‘please call us,” said Leith. “I had an inquiry last week from someone who burnt food on the stove and said, ‘I'm really concerned we're going to get a bill for this.
“It's like, ’no, you're not getting a bill for that.”
Leith said he plans to make a full presentation to town council early in the new year for cost recovery amendments to the Fire Services Bylaw.
