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Fire Brigade Charges

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    #152
    ratracer
    Registered Users Posts: 3,218 ✭✭✭ratracer


    purple pyramid wrote: »
    A coupla years later and things have changed somewhat. I started a fire in the kitchen of my gaff in Bray by accident (needless to say!) recently and got it under control within about 30 seconds. Directly afterwards I opened the windows to let the smoke out, but a passer-by saw the smoke escaping and called the fire brigade unbeknownst to me, which arrived in due course along with an ambulance and the cops, God bless them all.
    A month or so later I got a bill for E750-odd. While there is no question that I appreciate the fire & ambulance service and the great work they do, I didn't call them at all and I think E750 is a crazy fee. I would have thought this was a civic right, not withdrawn to pay for our addiction to the avarice of the banking, political, and civil service cartels. Anybody dealt with the situation of not calling them and being charged anyway?
    If you didn't call them and they didn't do anything, then write to them explaining this with a copy of the invoice and tell them you can't pay.


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    #153
    Bang Bang
    Registered Users Posts: 774 ✭✭✭Bang Bang


    purple pyramid wrote: »
    A coupla years later and things have changed somewhat. I started a fire in the kitchen of my gaff in Bray by accident (needless to say!) recently and got it under control within about 30 seconds. Directly afterwards I opened the windows to let the smoke out, but a passer-by saw the smoke escaping and called the fire brigade unbeknownst to me, which arrived in due course along with an ambulance and the cops, God bless them all.
    A month or so later I got a bill for E750-odd. While there is no question that I appreciate the fire & ambulance service and the great work they do, I didn't call them at all and I think E750 is a crazy fee. I would have thought this was a civic right, not withdrawn to pay for our addiction to the avarice of the banking, political, and civil service cartels. Anybody dealt with the situation of not calling them and being charged anyway?

    Just to point out that there is no charge by the HSE for an Ambulance Service call-out. The local City/County Council impose charges for a Fire Service call-out.


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    #154
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    purple pyramid wrote: »
    A coupla years later and things have changed somewhat. I started a fire in the kitchen of my gaff in Bray by accident (needless to say!) recently and got it under control within about 30 seconds. Directly afterwards I opened the windows to let the smoke out, but a passer-by saw the smoke escaping and called the fire brigade unbeknownst to me, which arrived in due course along with an ambulance and the cops, God bless them all.
    A month or so later I got a bill for E750-odd. While there is no question that I appreciate the fire & ambulance service and the great work they do, I didn't call them at all and I think E750 is a crazy fee. I would have thought this was a civic right, not withdrawn to pay for our addiction to the avarice of the banking, political, and civil service cartels. Anybody dealt with the situation of not calling them and being charged anyway?
    They will back down eventually.


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    #155
    BrianD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,221 ✭✭✭BrianD


    Fyr.Fytr wrote: »
    Couldnt agree with you and paul more.

    It may just cost lives, people afraid to call incase of a charge.

    Might aswell make 999 a 1550 number while they're at it

    IP "My house is on fire, 123 fake street my family are inside"
    Control "Ok sir, €50 up front the rest payable within 7 days cash or cheque only please"

    News reporter "The minister for the enviroment today launched the first fire appliance fitted with "chip and pin" to allow people to pay using credit or debit cards on the spot, the service is to be rolled out nationwide"

    Will go back in time, like the original insurance fire companys, youll have to put a plate to mark your house as having insurance, no plate fire appliance keeps driving


    Handed a bill for a state funeral thats shocking, the height of disrespect too, imaging someone devoting thier life to service or god forbit killed in the line of duty then the sheer cheek of it to have to pay to give the deceased an honourable send off.


    From civdefs posts agree with chimneys, afa's etc being charged but definatley not domestic fires no way, unsure about rta's but suppose if its down to driver error or breaking road traffic act etc

    The whole idea of charges for emergency services doesnt sit well with me, maybe for MFA's, AFA's still though

    The taxpayer pays for the emergency system to be on standby and available for citizens to call upon. Levying charges is not unreasonable. Many call outs e.g. chimney fires are entirely preventable.

    The OP has been through a very traumatic event and it's a difficult time to say - you should have insurance cover. However, many insurance companies do cover this. My own insurer, FBD, makes a point of highlighting that it is covered.
    jos28 wrote:
    He dialled 999 and they put the fire out. Will he be charged ?

    Unfortunately, I think you've answered your own question there.


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    #156
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Well 6 years on and I have still not paid. Hard luck now they are out of time.

    If you stand firm they will not pursue you.
    Levying charges is not unreasonable.
    If all councils levied the same charges maybe. But some continue not to charge whilst others do. I have not heard of one of these cases going to court. I know of one person who told the council he had no insurance, they waived the charges.


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    #157
    DrPhilG
    Registered Users Posts: 12,226 ✭✭✭✭DrPhilG


    I've just been told by a former neighbour that some wee bugger set fire to a skip at my old house (still own the house, renting it shortly). Don't think it really caught but apparently the fire brigade attended.

    Am I likely to get a bill? From what I understand there was just a bit of smouldering. If I'd known at the time I'd have gone down and turned the damn hose on it myself. I don't know who called the Fire Brigade.


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    #158
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Depends on which council it is. More than likely a bill of around €500 is coming to you.


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    #159
    DrPhilG
    Registered Users Posts: 12,226 ✭✭✭✭DrPhilG


    o
    Our man in Havana wrote: »
    Depends on which council it is. More than likely a bill of around €500 is coming to you.

    D


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    #160
    DrPhilG
    Registered Users Posts: 12,226 ✭✭✭✭DrPhilG


    Our man in Havana wrote: »
    Depends on which council it is. More than likely a bill of around €500 is coming to you.

    Donegal. I think their charge is only €100.

    But why should I be responsible? The FB weren't actually needed as nothing caught light, and it wasn't me who called them.

    If that's the way it works it would be a handy way to annoy someone, toss a lit bit of paper over their wall and go call it in!


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    #161
    ratracer
    Registered Users Posts: 3,218 ✭✭✭ratracer


    Also may depend on the address the officer in charge put down on the bill.If the skip was in your driveway, i reckon get ready to cough up. If it was on the road theres a chance just the street name was put down and it a bill may never arrive.


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    #162
    guttenberg
    Registered Users Posts: 960 ✭✭✭guttenberg


    DrPhilG wrote: »
    Donegal. I think their charge is only €100.

    But why should I be responsible? The FB weren't actually needed as nothing caught light, and it wasn't me who called them.

    If that's the way it works it would be a handy way to annoy someone, toss a lit bit of paper over their wall and go call it in!

    If they didn't attend and it caught light, and maybe even spread to your property, you'd fairly be complaining that they didn't arrive in time. Have you Home insurance, if so would they cover it? It's expensive yes, but considering what can happen if they don't respond until they contact and get an OK from the homeowner, it's an understandable evil.


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    #163
    DrPhilG
    Registered Users Posts: 12,226 ✭✭✭✭DrPhilG


    ratracer wrote: »
    Also may depend on the address the officer in charge put down on the bill.If the skip was in your driveway, i reckon get ready to cough up. If it was on the road theres a chance just the street name was put down and it a bill may never arrive.

    It was wedged into the back gateway so there'll be no doubt it was my place.

    Don't think there's any use in contacting the house insurance people, if I'm right in thinking that max charge in Donegal is €100 then I'll just have to pay it.


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    #164
    Our man in Havana
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29,476 ✭✭✭✭Our man in Havana


    Personally I wouldn't bother.


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    #165
    DrPhilG
    Registered Users Posts: 12,226 ✭✭✭✭DrPhilG


    Just to update, never heard any more from the incident.


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    #166
    peerasif
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭peerasif


    I have received an invoice from louth county fireservices for an incident when my wife,s car sliped off the road and went into tbe farm feild.
    This happened on 11 June and I am getting a bill from fire service on 27 Nov. ,€600 euro charge €10/min.
    This disgrace. I pay almost 19000 euro in taxes every year and I hVe to pay for this dvdn when I didnt ask for them to come.
    This policy is a rip off. A person will have to think wether to let tbe car or house burn , or call fire services. I guess letting it burn will be cheaper


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    #167
    Smaidd
    Registered Users Posts: 4 ✭Smaidd


    I would relax about this. Very few people are paying - see below links.
    Bring it up next time a politician darkens your door.


    http://www.herald.ie/news/householders-ignore-500-fire-service-callout-charges-28013425.html

    http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/fire-brigade-is-owed-200k-in-call-out-fees-218578.html

    http://www.joe.ie/news/current-affairs/want-to-guess-what-percentage-of-people-are-paying-the-e500-fire-brigade-call-out-charge/

    Can't pay
    Won't pay
    Don't pay!


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