[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Springfield as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 3-14-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-01]
The Springfield Township Board of Supervisors, by and through their authority and relationship with the aforesaid Emergency Service Providers and Responders hereby recognizes the authority and authorizes the aforesaid emergency service providers and responders[1] to recover the reasonable costs of firefighting materials, equipment, personnel hours and hazardous abatement materials involving any hazardous material incident or any incident involving hazardous material, environmental incident, or safety and rescue incident or operation, including vehicular accidents.
[1]
Editor's Note: The preamble to Ord. No. 2016-01 designated the following emergency service providers within the geographic limits of the Township: Loganville Fire Company, Station 63; Seven Valleys Fire Company; Goodwill Fire Company No. 1; and Glen Rock Hose and Ladder Company.
To the extent permitted by Pennsylvania statutes, laws and regulations, the emergency service providers and responders shall charge and collect reasonable user fees for any response to an emergency incident involving fire, rescue, motor vehicle accidents, and other highway incidents to persons or entities occurring in the Township.
Said reasonable costs as outlined above may be recovered directly by the emergency service providers and responders or by agreement with a collection agency, provided such agreement is approved in advance by motion of the Board of Supervisors.
In addition to the aforementioned reasonable costs, the aforesaid emergency service providers and responders, or collection agency, shall be authorized to collect legal interest at the then-statutory legal interest rate, as well as a reasonable administrative fee, legal costs including reasonable attorney fees, for collecting the same and any and all additional fees as may be authorized by the Hazardous Material and Emergency Planning and Response Act[1] or authorized by any other statute, case law or common law.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 35 P.S. § 6022.101 et seq.
Any Fee Schedule for said services shall be initially submitted by the emergency service providers and responders to the Board of Supervisors for approval. Thereafter, any changes in the Fee Schedule must be approved by the Board of Supervisors. Except for extraordinary situations involving charges that are not regularly incurred by the emergency services provider and responders, only charges approved by motion at a public meeting shall be deemed reasonable and eligible for reimbursement.
Emergency service recipients questioning the reasonableness or right to collect any charge may appeal the assessment to the Township Board of Supervisors under provisions of the Pennsylvania Local Public Agency Law,[1] within 30 days of receipt of the assessment. Failure to so appeal within 30 days shall constitute a waiver of the recipient's right to contest the charge(s). Charges incurred hereunder may be collected directly by the emergency service providers at the Magisterial District Judge's office.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 2 Pa.C.S.A. § 551 et seq.