The Fire Department in New York City thinks the taxpayers should no longer be the only ones paying when firefighters are called to the scene of a car crash. Starting next summer, the FDNY will begin billing their time to the motorists involved in the incidents.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a vehicle fire or any other incident with injuries will cost $490. A vehicle fire without injuries will cost $415. And incidents without fire or injuries will cost $365. The FDNY responded to around 14,000 accidents last year.
“We want to relieve pressure on the taxpayer and place it on those at fault and their insurance,” said a spokesman for the FDNY. “Right now if you’re at fault at an accident or a vehicle fire, you get a free ride. And that should not be borne by the taxpayers.”
The invoices will be sent directly to the driver, who can then choose to pass it on to their insurance company.
While the so-called “crash tax” will add millions of dollars to the city’s strained coffers, some fear that it could also cause insurance rates to rise.
The president of the New York Insurance Association calls what the FDNY is doing “double billing”:
If the police show up at your house for a domestic violence dispute or a break-in, are they going to send you a bill? Those are services that are typically covered when you pay your taxes.
Meanwhile, the AAA says the FDNY’s plan is “short-sighted.”
“We have concerns that some motorists might be less likely to call police to crash scenes, allowing drunk drivers, uninsured drivers, drivers with suspended licenses, and others to go undetected,” said a rep for the organization.
City to Bill Motorists Who Crash and Need Aid [WSJ]
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Out here in rural Minnesota, paying for fire calls is typical.
The going rate for a call in our township is $600 per call. A call out of the first responders (EMTs) may be lower, but isn’t free either. Our township has three different fire departments under contract based on location in the township and two different ambulance services based of location.
And then, there’s an ambulance fee if they are called, and yet another fee for having an ALS medical chopper haul you in if necessary.
It just a basic fee for service deal.
Obviously, the NY Insurance Association President doesn’t want his member insurance companies having to pay this fee.
If you think this is bad check out what the cost is to get you to the hospital in a air ambulance. They are going for reimbursement from the patient.
They try to raise money by charging people for things that should be covered by our taxes, instead of cutting back on the stupid crap that they spend our taxes on.
We need more responsible people in government, regular people who live payday to payday.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t think my car insurance has a rider for bills from emergency services.
burden on taxpayers?? they are already paid for with tax money, this is absolutely double billing!! people are just going to drive off after accidents.
San Francisco already does this. it sucks.
I like how they say:
“The invoices will be sent directly to the driver, who can then choose to pass it on to their insurance company.”
Is my insurance company obligated to pay, or will I have to add an additional “emergency services” rider to get coverage for what I thought my tax dollars were paying for?
This has been happening here (Calgary, Canada) for a long time. Fire will charge to clean up any spills that are caused by negligence or an at-fault accident. If there is not found to be someone at fault, then no one gets charged. It has really cut down on people calling the cops for every little fender bender. Now most people only call if the cars can not be safely moved or someone is drunk or injured in the accident, which has really helped with response times. All in all, I think it is a good policy.
Slightly off topic story: My brother was in a really bad accident that he was lucky to walk away from, but damaged the guard rail of the bridge he was on. They got a bill in the mail a few weeks later to pay to repair the bridge. They sent in the check, the guard rail was replaced. 2 weeks after, the city started expanding the bridge to 4 lanes, so the brand new guard rail was pulled out.
Um.
When I was in an accident 8 years ago, I specifically dialed the non-emergency number and told them no one was hurt and that we just needed the police to make a report. They sent two squad cars, two fire trucks, and two ambulances with sirens wailing.
No way in effing hell would I be paying for that. I could see the response teams in small towns like that one deliberately sending extra vehicles just to be able to bill more, if this catches on.