A. The chief of police has the authority to implement the appropriate polices and procedures necessary to recover the "expenses of any emergency response" as the result of any incident as provided for in Government Code Section 53150. Such expenses shall include those reasonable costs directly arising because of the response to the particular incident and may include the costs of providing police, firefighting, rescue, and emergency medical services at the scene of the incident, as well as the salaries of the personnel responding to the incident as provided for in Government Code Section 53156(a).
B. A person responsible for expenses under this section includes the following:
1. Any person who is under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or any drug, or the combined influence of an alcoholic beverage and any drug, whose negligent operation of a motor vehicle caused by that influence proximately caused any incident resulting in an appropriate emergency response, is liable for the expense of the emergency response; or
2. Any person whose intentionally wrongful conduct proximately causes any incident resulting in an emergency response, is liable for the expense of the emergency response. The city shall send this person an invoice for the expense of the emergency response.
C. The direct costs shall include a labor charge for the actual time spent on the incident by emergency personnel (police, fire, public works, rescue or emergency medical service personnel) including a charge for administrative overhead. The direct costs shall also include a vehicle and equipment use rate as determined by the finance department multiplied by the actual hours of use in response to the incident and charges for supplies and materials consumed in response to the incident. However, a person's liability for the expense of an emergency response shall not exceed that permitted by state law.
D. The city's finance department shall give the responsible person a written invoice itemizing all charges. The amount stated in the invoice shall be due within thirty days after the date of the invoice therefor, and shall be delinquent thereafter. Penalties for delinquencies shall be assessed as provided in Sections 5.04.290 and 5.04.300 of the Signal Hill Municipal Code. The city may take all practical and reasonable steps to recover these costs, including instituting appropriate legal action.
(Ord.90-09-1075 § 1)