(a)
The owner or occupant of a structure, vehicle, or property to which the fire department provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, vehicle extrication, hazardous material mitigation, or other fire department services, (collectively referred to in this article as “emergency response services”) or any person that causes the need for the fire department to respond and/or provide any emergency response service (the “responsible party”) shall pay the cost of such service, which shall include both the base response fees and the cost recovery fees. The fire chief or their designee is hereby authorized and directed to establish and maintain a cost recovery fee schedule for emergency response services, and the fees stated therein shall not exceed the city’s actual expense in providing such emergency response services. The itemized billing fee schedule shall at all times be maintained on file with the fire department and city’s website, shall be prima facie evidence of the fees established, and shall have the same legal effect as if adopted by ordinance of the City Council.
(b)
Within thirty (30) days of the date of providing emergency response services, the fire chief or his designee shall submit an invoice for all costs, fees, charges and expenses related to the provisions of such services to the owner, occupant, or other responsible party or their designated agent, representatives and insurance companies. All such bills are to be paid within sixty (60) days of the receipt thereof; interest shall accumulate thereafter on any unpaid balances at the rate of ten percent (10%).
(c)
In addition, any bills, fines or penalties, including but not limited to clean up costs, fees or expenses, that are imposed upon the city, state or federal agencies and related to the same situation or occurrences may be billed separately within thirty (30) days of receipt and shall be paid as provided in subsection (b) above.
(Ordinance CO59-14-07-24-C1, exh. A, adopted 7/24/14)