Wisconsin village to charge residents if they call the fire department.

http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090819/GPG0101/90819154/1978

Effective immediately, Hobart will charge a fee for dispatching its volunteer fire department to most fires, accidents and other incidents in the village.
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On Tuesday, the village board unanimously approved an ordinance that establishes fees for residents, non-residents, private businesses and tax-exempt entities, making it one of the few Brown County communities to go to a user-based fee system for its fire department.

“It’s really shifting it from a general tax subsidy to a user charge,” administrator Andrew Vickers said about the change. Not all calls will be charged, though. For example, a fire caused by a lightning strike or other natural occurrence will not trigger an invoice.

(snip)

If Hobart firefighters are called to provide traffic control services or clean up hazardous spills, those costs will also be charged to the business, resident or entity responsible. The purpose of the ordinance is to lessen the burden and recover costs when providing services to “tax-exempt properties, corporations, negligent parties and insurance providers,” the law reads.

:wow:

and that is a LARGE city.

The move does not shock me though and subscription services will be coming to that township.

Do I think this should happen? No

Is is happening because taxes are so low that they cannot cover the costs of training, equipment and all that jazz? Yep.

This is a direct consequence of not enough taxes charged and people still want the damn services.

...of tax revenue perhaps? In any event, this is very disheartening.

since no one likes socialism.... maybe we could do that with the police department too.

:sarcasm:

:eyes:

used in my state. volunter ambulances and fire dept EMT now bill your insurance company. My town provids the ambulance with a set tax amount which covers those that can't pay or have no insurance.

CONCORD, N.H. - A Massachusetts teenager who spent three nights alone on Mount Washington in April after he sprained an ankle and veered off marked trails has been fined more than $25,000 for the cost of his rescue.

<snip>

Acerno said he believes that Mason’s fine is the largest ever sought under a nine-year-old New Hampshire law that allows lost hikers and climbers to be charged for rescue costs. Mason’s rescue was particularly expensive because the helicopters the state typically used were unavailable, and a helicopter from Maine had to be brought in, Acerno said.

http://tinyurl.com/lmj768

What do people want, socialized search and rescue? Let's privatize it and let the free market determine who gets to live and die!