Bill for Fire Service?

coillsaille · 13-12-2012 10:41pm #1

Hi all,

This is the only forum where I thought I might get an answer. (Mods, if not appropriate please move to where you see fit).

A while back our chimney went on fire and my other half rang for the fire brigade. At the same time I arrived home and put out the chimney fire. She rang dispatch centre to cancel but was told fire service were already on the way. (We live out the country about an hours drive from the fire station in town.) She had literally just hung up when the driver of the fire truck rang to get directions. She told him fire was out, he asked if we were sure, we said yes. He said grand so, we're just leaving town now so we'll turn back. All good.

Today we got a bill for E300. Do we have to pay this considering they didn't attend the scene?

searescue · 17-12-2012 11:54pm

It's quite possible that you will. Where are you living? I ask because if you're near a full time station then the lads are still being paid the same whether they're on a call or not.

However, if your station is retained (on call) then the lads would be paid a callout fee (around €70 per man at night or weekend) from the minute the alerters were set off plus an hourly fee.

So if they've been paid then the council will want to recuperate some of it. Best bet is to write to the council explaining what you've said above.

Fire1985 · 18-12-2012 12:29am

I think you will have to pay. You called the brigade out and it sounds like your in a rural area therefore your station must be retained. It's €80 at the weekend per firefighter as soon as alerted. So you stood them down but they still need to get paid. It's a high price for a chimney fire but that's just they way it is.

coillsaille · 18-12-2012 1:46pm

Thanks for the replies.

The station involved is Galway City which I'm pretty sure is a full time station.

ratracer · 19-12-2012 3:10pm

Tough break, but someone in your house called the fire brigade and are therefore liable for the bill. A chimney fire is a flat fee so it doesn't matter whether its a full time or retained station.

I don't think Galway Co Co have ever brought anyone to court for non payment though...

Dawn Rider · 21-12-2012 1:26am

It's because of these charges I'd be very reluctant to call the fire brigade to my own house.

It would only if, really ONLY IF, I couldn't extinguish the fire myself.

I can't recommend that to anyone else. But, that's my position.

dahamsta · 21-12-2012 1:42am

It's only a matter of time before the attitude above - which I can't argue with - starts causing deaths. Particularly with people having less and less money to cover things like this.

meathstevie · 23-12-2012 7:03am

I've never fully understood the concept of charging people for use of the fire and or ambulance service especially compared to the cost of even run of the mill regular bread and butter investigations ran by the Gardai.

Take for example a fairly common domestic burglary where a car gets stolen and later recovered. First of all a crew will attend and probably spend the better part of a few hours recording statements and doing an initial scene investigation, a quick door to door, CCTV in the area etc etc and possibly followed by a visit of forensics people looking for their evidence at the scene and in and on the recovered car.

That in turn will possibly generate lab work which isn't cheap either. Now if all this evidence leads to a suspect being picked up this will lead to another few hours of Garda time dealing with an arrest, putting someone up in custody and interviewing the suspect where a free legal aid solicitor may come into the picture as well. And subsequently there may also be the cost of a court case and Garda attendance at court.

Add it all up and the true cost of the burglary is definitely a multitude of the cost of the fire service attending a chimney fire. So why are people charged for the use of the fire service and not for Garda investigations ?

Just to make things clear, I'm not in favour of any charges for emergency services as I believe that the provision of generally accessible emergency services is one of the essential tasks of the state that should be funded through taxation in general and not be contributed to by service users on a per case basis.

All these services are provided in the public interest as fires and other incidents like floods and chemical accidents running out of control and acutely ill people not getting to hospital can have serious implications for life and property which will ultimately translate into a human and material cost to be shouldered by society in general. This cost will ultimately be far greater than the cost of the state funding the services.

The same goes for a police service, not keeping the peace and giving criminals of all sorts free reign will generate a cost to society that will ultimately be larger than the cost of having the service in place.

For an example of what the cost of not having functional emergency services amounts to one only needs to look at the failed states all over the world.

McWotever · 23-12-2012 4:46pm

Send in the Reciept for the payment of your household charge and tell them that Mr Noonan said that this charge pays for the Fire Service. Then ignore any letters after that.

shar01 · 23-12-2012 4:52pm

Check your house insurance. Most cover you for up to €700 a call out.

999nobody · 23-12-2012 10:21pm

meathstevie wrote: »

I've never fully understood the concept of charging people for use of the fire and or ambulance service especially compared to the cost of even run of the mill regular bread and butter investigations ran by the Gardai.

Take for example a fairly common domestic burglary where a car gets stolen and later recovered. First of all a crew will attend and probably spend the better part of a few hours recording statements and doing an initial scene investigation, a quick door to door, CCTV in the area etc etc and possibly followed by a visit of forensics people looking for their evidence at the scene and in and on the recovered car.

That in turn will possibly generate lab work which isn't cheap either. Now if all this evidence leads to a suspect being picked up this will lead to another few hours of Garda time dealing with an arrest, putting someone up in custody and interviewing the suspect where a free legal aid solicitor may come into the picture as well. And subsequently there may also be the cost of a court case and Garda attendance at court.

Add it all up and the true cost of the burglary is definitely a multitude of the cost of the fire service attending a chimney fire. So why are people charged for the use of the fire service and not for Garda investigations ?

Just to make things clear, I'm not in favour of any charges for emergency services as I believe that the provision of generally accessible emergency services is one of the essential tasks of the state that should be funded through taxation in general and not be contributed to by service users on a per case basis.

All these services are provided in the public interest as fires and other incidents like floods and chemical accidents running out of control and acutely ill people not getting to hospital can have serious implications for life and property which will ultimately translate into a human and material cost to be shouldered by society in general. This cost will ultimately be far greater than the cost of the state funding the services.

The same goes for a police service, not keeping the peace and giving criminals of all sorts free reign will generate a cost to society that will ultimately be larger than the cost of having the service in place.

For an example of what the cost of not having functional emergency services amounts to one only needs to look at the failed states all over the world.

There is no charge for the emergency ambulance service.

Bill for Fire Service?

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