[Adopted 7-10-1995 by Ord. No. 95-011]
The purpose of this article is to enable the City to require reimbursement for all costs and damages incurred in connection with emergency responses involving confined space rescue operations. Such costs and damages shall include, but not be limited to, those associated with incident abatement, including any related third-party costs, which were necessary to perform the rescue of a person or persons from a confined space.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this article, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
CONFINED SPACE
Any space that is not intended for continual occupancy, has limited means of egress and has the potential for physical, chemical or atmospheric engulfment.
COSTS AND DAMAGES
The direct and reasonable costs incurred by the City, or by a private person, corporation or other entity operating at the request of/or direction of the City, when making an emergency response to an incident, including the costs of providing police, fire-fighting and rescue service at the scene of the incident. These costs include, but are not limited to, all the salaries, wages and workers' compensation benefits of the City personnel responding to the incident; all the salaries, wages and workers' compensation benefits of the City personnel engaged in investigation, supervision and report preparation; the cost of materials obtained directly by the City; and the cost of contract labor or materials.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
Providing, sending and/or utilizing public service, or any agent, of the City, at or to an incident involving the rescue of a person or persons trapped in a confined space.
PERSON
Any individual, joint-stock company, partnership, voluntary association, society, club, firm, company, corporation, business trust, organization, or any other group acting as a unit, or the manager, lessee, agent, servant, partner, member director, officer or employee of any of them, including an executor, administrator, trustee, receiver or other representative appointed according to law.
If the Fire Department conducts a survey of a site having a confined space that requires specialized apparatus or equipment to perform a rescue, and such specialized apparatus or equipment is not normally provided by the Fire Department, the Fire Chief may require that the person responsible for the site provide such specialized apparatus or equipment on site for use by the Fire Department in the performance of confined space rescue.
The Fire Department shall be provided access to all sites containing confined spaces to conduct training operations, specific to the needs of said site, on a periodic basis.
The expense of an emergency response shall be a charge against the person liable for expenses under this article. The charge constitutes a debt of such person and is collectible by the City of Monroe, for incurring such expense, in the same manner as in the case of an obligation under a contract, express or implied.
The City Director of Finance shall, within 10 days of receiving a statement of itemized costs incurred for an emergency response, submit an invoice for the same, by first class mail or personal service, to the person liable for such costs as set forth in this article. Said invoice shall require full payment within 30 days from the date of service.
Any person described in this article as being liable for the expenses of an emergency response, who fails to reimburse the City within 30 days of receiving notice of the expenses incurred by the City as a result of an emergency response, shall be considered in default. If the person who is liable for the debt refuses to reimburse the City, and owns real estate within the City, the expenses shall be assessed against the real estate in the manner provided by the City Charter (delinquent bills and assessments). If the person does not own real estate in the City, collection shall be pursued by the City Attorney. The City shall also have the right to bring an action in an appropriate court to collect such costs if it deems such action to be necessary.