Fire district can bill insurance companies for equipment use
BUTLER TWP — The Butler Township Volunteer Fire District now can bill insurance companies when firefighters use department equipment at an emergency scene.
The township’s board of commissioners voted Monday to give the fire district this ability, which township solicitor Rebecca Black said is common for municipal volunteer fire departments. She said it gives a fire company the legal backing to recoup service costs.
“It defaults to the property owner, but with specific permissions in there that would give the fire chief the authority to bill additional parties if he or she determined that they were the responsible party,” she said.
Scott Frederick, the township’s director of emergency services, said the department now has no way to recoup money expended when responding to an emergency.
With the adoption of this ordinance, Black said a third-party company will send invoices to the proper insurance agency. She also said the ordinance will not impact residents or the fire department’s response to calls.
“There is no situation where a fire company would decline to respond to a certain situation,” Black said. “Even if somebody has never paid, or there is some battle of insurance, or there is no insurance at all. It’s not going to change the operation of the fire district as it exists now, it’s just giving them the opportunity to try and recover some of the costs.”
A fee schedule distributed by Frederick at the commissioners’ July meeting listed the now-approved charges for the use of many fire department apparatus. For example, the department will charge $120 per hour for use of a fire engine, $30 per foot of hose used, $50 per use of power tool and $250 for debris cleanup.
Commissioners also gave a Taco Bell planned at Greater Butler Mart until Nov. 21 to submit its bond for the project.
At a previous meeting, the board approved two plans for the Greater Butler Mart — the construction of a Taco Bell and the demolition of the McDonald’s in the plaza, which will be reconstructed in a different space in the plaza.
Black said that while the two plans were approved almost simultaneously, the Taco Bell delay has less impact on the McDonald’s construction moving forward.
“There is some level of codependency with these two developments,” Black said. “McDonald’s was taking the position that if they were ready to move forward, they can move forward with a majority of their plans without Taco Bell ... If they were switched, I would have more of a concern.”
Commissioners extended the township’s agreement with Butler, Butler Area Sewer Authority and Pennsylvania American Water Company until Sept. 30.
The agreement allows Pennsylvania American officials to determine BASA’s assets before a possible sale.
The township has previously extended its confidentiality agreement, which was adopted in January.
“It’s maintaining the status quo for the time being,” Black said.
BASA serves nearly 15,000 customers in 32.5 square miles, which includes Butler, Butler and Center townships, East Butler, parts of Connoquenessing, Summit and Oakland townships and a small portion of Penn Township. Of the five members of the BASA board, three represent Butler and two represent Butler Township.
