(A) Average billing levels and itemized claims. The mitigation rates below are average billing levels that are typical for the incident responses listed. However, when a claim is submitted, it may be itemized and based on the actual services provided. These rates are based on actual costs using amortized schedules for apparatus (including useful life, equipment, repairs, and maintenance). Labor rates include an average department's actual burdened labor costs and not just a firefighter's wage. These include wages, retirement, benefits, workers comp, and the like.
(B) Annual rate adjustment. The mitigation rates set forth in this section will increase by 5.9% annually or based on the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, whichever is more. Rate adjustments will occur on the anniversary date of Ordinance 996 to keep the Fire Department’s cost recovery program in conformity with increasing operating expenses.
(C) Incidents.
(1) Motor vehicle incidents.
(a) Level 1 - $546. Provide hazardous materials assessment and scene stabilization. This is the most common billing level, which occurs almost every time the Fire Department responds to an accident or incident.
(b) Level 2 - $623. Includes Level 1 services as well as clean up and material used (sorbents) for hazardous fluid clean up and disposal. The city will bill at this level if the Fire Department has to clean up any gasoline or other automotive fluids that are spilled as a result of the accident or incident.
(c) Level 3, Car fire - $760. Provide scene safety, fire suppression, breathing air, rescue tools, hand tools, hose, tip use, foam, structure protection, and clean up gasoline or other automotive fluids that are spilled as a result of the accident or incident.
(d) Add-on services.
1. Extrication - $1,641. Includes heavy rescue tools, ropes, air bags, cribbing and the like. This charge will be added if the Fire Department has to free or remove anyone from the vehicle(s) using any equipment. The city will not bill at this level if the patient is simply unconscious and the Fire Department is able to open the door to access the patient. This level is to be billed only if equipment is deployed.
2. Creating a landing zone - $502. Includes air care (multi-engine company response, mutual aid, helicopter). The city will bill at this level any time a helicopter landing zone is created and/or is utilized to transport the patient(s).
3. Itemized response. The city has the option to bill each incident as an independent event with custom mitigation rates, using itemized rates deemed usual, customary and reasonable (UCR). These incidents will be billed, itemized per apparatus, per personnel, plus products and equipment used.
(2) Hazmat.
(a) Level 1 - $881. Basic response. Claim will include engine response, first responder assignment, perimeter establishment, evacuations, set-up and command.
(b) Level 2 - $3,146. Intermediate response. Claim will include engine response, first responder assignment, hazmat-certified team and appropriate equipment, perimeter establishment, evacuations, set-up and command, Level A or B suit donning, breathing air and detection equipment. Set-up and removal of decon center.
(c) Level 3 - $7,426. Advanced response. Claim will include engine response, first responder assignment, hazmat-certified team and appropriate equipment, perimeter establishment, evacuations, first responder set-up and command, Level A or B suit donning, breathing air and detection equipment and robot deployment. Set-up and removal of decon center, detection equipment, recovery and identification of material. Disposal and environment clean up. Includes above in addition to any disposal rates of material and contaminated equipment and material used at scene. Includes three hours of on scene time, with each additional hour billed at $356 per hazmat team.
(3) Fire investigation.
(a) Fire investigation team - $346 per hour, which includes:
1. Scene safety;
2. Investigation;
3. Source identification;
4. K-9 or arson dog unit;
5. Identification equipment;
6. Mobile detection unit;
7. Fire report.
(b) The claim begins when the fire investigator responds to the incident and is billed for logged time only.
(4) Fires.
(a) Assignment - $503 per hour per engine, or $629 per hour per truck.
1. This includes:
a. Scene safety;
b. Investigation;
c. Fire or hazard control.
2. This is the most common billing level, which occurs almost every time the Fire Department responds to an incident.
(b) The Fire Department has the option to bill each fire as an independent event with custom mitigation rates, itemized per person at various pay levels and per products used.
(5) Illegal fires.
(a) Assignment - $503 per hour per engine, or $629 per hour per truck.
(b) When a fire is started by any person or persons that requires a Fire Department response during a time or season when fires are regulated or controlled by local or state rules, provisions or ordinances because of pollution or fire danger concerns, such person or persons will be liable for the Fire Department response, at a cost not to exceed the actual expenses incurred by the Fire Department to respond and contain the fire.
(c) Similarly, if a fire is started where permits are required for the fire and the permit was not obtained, and the Fire Department is required to respond to contain the fire, the responsible party will be liable for the response, at a cost not to exceed the actual expenses incurred by the Fire Department.
(d) The actual expenses will include direct labor, equipment costs and any other costs that can be reasonably allocated to the cost of the response.
(6) Water incidents.
(a) Level 1 - $503 plus $62 per hour, per rescue person. Basic response. Claim will include engine response, first responder assignment, perimeter establishment, evacuations, first responder set-up and command, scene safety and investigation (including possible patient contact, hazard control). This is the most common billing level, which occurs almost every time the Fire Department responds to a water incident.
(b) Level 2 - $1,006 plus $62 per hour, per rescue person. Intermediate response. Includes Level 1 services as well as clean up and material used (sorbents), minor hazardous clean up and disposal. The city will bill at this level if the Fire Department has to clean up small amounts of gasoline or other fluids that are spilled as a result of the incident.
(c) Level 3 - $2,489 plus $62 per hour per rescue person, plus $126 per hour per hazmat team member. Advanced response. Includes Level 1 and Level 2 services as well as D.A.R.T. activation, donning breathing apparatus and detection equipment, set up and removal of decon center, detection equipment, recovery and identification of material, disposal and environment clean up; in addition to any disposal rates of material and contaminated equipment and material used at scene.
(d) Level 4. Itemized response. The Fire Department has the option to bill each incident as an independent event with custom mitigation rates, using itemized rates deemed usual, customary and reasonable (UCR). These incidents will be billed, itemized per trained rescue person, plus rescue products used.
(7) Back country or special rescue.
(a) Itemized response. Each incident will be billed with custom mitigation rates deemed usual, customary and reasonable (UCR). These incidents will be billed, itemized per apparatus per hour, per trained rescue person per hour, plus rescue products used.
(b) Minimum billed $503 for the first response vehicle plus $62 per rescue person. Additional rates of $503 per hour per response vehicle and $62 per hour per rescue person.
(8) Chief response. Billed at $315 per hour. This includes the set-up of command and providing direction of the incident. This could also include operations, safety, and administration of the incident.
(9) Miscellaneous or additional time on-scene (for all levels of service).
(a) Engine billed at $503 per hour.
(b) Truck billed at $629 per hour.
(c) Miscellaneous equipment billed at $378.
(D) Mitigation rate notes.
(1) The mitigation rates above are average billing levels for one hour of service, and are typical for the incident responses listed. However, when a claim is submitted, it may be itemized and based on the actual services provided. These rates are subject to change.
(2) Average mitigation rates were determined by itemizing costs for a typical run (from the time a fire apparatus leaves the station until it returns to the station) and are based on the actual costs, using amortized schedules for apparatus (including useful life, equipment, repairs, and maintenance) and labor rates (an average department’s “actual personnel expense” and not just a firefighter’s basic wage). The actual personnel expense includes costs such as wages, retirement, benefits, workers comp, insurance, and the like
(Ord. 996, passed 11-10-2022)