(A) A service charge is incurred upon deployment.
(B) Parties requesting or receiving fire and emergency services are billed directly by the city. Additionally, if the party receiving fire and emergency services did not request services, but a fire or other situation exists which, at the discretion of the Department Chief or the Chief’s designee requires fire and emergency services, the party will be charged and billed. All parties are billed whether or not the fire and emergency services are covered by insurance. Any billable amount of the service charge not covered by a party’s insurance remains a debt of the party receiving the fire and emergency services.
(C) Parties billed for fire and emergency services have 30 days to pay. If the service charge is not paid by that time, it is considered delinquent and the city shall send a notice of delinquency.
(D) If the service charge remains unpaid for 30 days after the notice of delinquency is sent, the city may use all practical and reasonable legal means to collect the service charge. The party receiving fire and emergency services shall be liable for all collection costs incurred by the city, including, but not limited to, reasonable attorney fees and court costs.
(E) If the service charge remains unpaid for 30 days after the notice of delinquency is sent, the city may also, on or before October 15 of each year, certify the unpaid service charge to the County Auditor in which the recipient of the services owns real property for collection with property taxes levied against the property. The County Auditor shall be responsible for remitting to the city all service charges collected on behalf of the city. The city must give the property owner written notice of its intent to certify the unpaid service charge to the Auditor by September 15. The service charge shall be subject to the same penalties, interest and other conditions provided for the collection of property taxes.
(F) False alarms will not be billed a service charge.
(2002 Code, § 2.83) (Ord. 63, Seventh Series, effective 10-28-2017)