He receives a bill 885$ for the intervention of the fire brigade

Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Daniel Jacques has received an invoice of firefighters to the fire of his snowmobile last February 9. The 50 year old man was slightly injured during the disaster.

Jean-François Racine

Monday, 19 march, 2018 00:00

UPDATE
Monday, 19 march, 2018 00:00

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A snowmobile driver is furious after receiving a bill 885 $ for the intervention of the firefighters, who had to turn off his engine in flames.

When one is the victim of a fire, is that a municipality can we bill for fire services ? In some circumstances, it seems that yes.

Photo courtesy

The flames ravaging the vehicle.

Salaries

On February 9, last, at Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, snowmobiling, Daniel Jacques, who has not been involved in an accident, was inflamed at the time of refueling. The video captured by a surveillance camera shows a blaze of instant near the pumps of a service station. The 50 year old man fortunately has not been seriously injured.

Less than a month later, on 6 march, the municipality sent him a bill 885,34 $ salaries, fees and benefits of a dozen firefighters. The victim claims that she has seen only one person on the premises. “If I had seen at least one truck. I just saw a guy with a radio 30 minutes later, ” explains Mr. Jacques.

The director general of the municipality has not denied the facts, on the contrary.

“The fire brigade were in barracks ready to go, but the one of them who was nearby saw that there was more danger. It has notified the other that there was no place to move, ” explains Eric Boisvert.

For the invoice, Mr. Boisvert added that it is a situation that is very uncommon. “For the citizens of the municipality, there are no fees. However, for a fire of a vehicle whose owner is not a resident of the municipality, it is permitted by the regulations. I have no statistics, but it doesn’t happen often. “

By decree

In addition to the alarms are unfounded, a government decree allows since 1989 for municipalities to charge the fire brigade was called to combat or to prevent the burning of the vehicle of any person who does not live in the territory of the municipality. The Court of appeal has already pronounced on the question. Normally, the contract standard automobile insurance in Quebec provides this protection, and the insurer should pay the note. The victim has chosen to contact the municipality to complain.

A bill of the firefighters ?

According to the interpretation of the Court of appeal, should be allowed to impose a pricing scheme, if the firemen are called to fight only the fire of a property without, at the same time, a person’s life is in danger.