§ 38-101. Fees for services.

(a)

Ambulance and rescue services.

(1)

The village board hereby establishes a fee for the provision of ambulance and rescue services by the Mukwonago Fire Department and/or by agents and contractors of the Mukwonago Fire Department. The term "ambulance and rescue services" shall include, but not be limited to, technical rescue services, such as for example, trench rescue, confined space rescue, emergency building shoring, and helicopter rescue, along with ordinary ambulance and rescue services.

(2)

Fees under this ordinance will be assessed to the responsible individual, corporation, utility, company and/or property owner for whom ambulance and/or rescue services were provided, as determined by the Chief of the Mukwonago Fire Department. The fees assessed shall be as established by the village board from time to time, by resolution, to recover the actual cost of the service(s) performed and, where applicable, shall include the actual amounts billed to the Village of Mukwonago and/or the Mukwonago Fire Department by contractors and agents called to incident(s) having occurred in the Village of Mukwonago.

(b)

Fire/accident calls on roads, streets, or highways.

(1)

The village board shall establish a fee for responding to a vehicle fire and/or accident call on any road, street, or highway, including, but not limited to any village road, county trunk highway, state trunk highway, or interstate highway.

(2)

Fees under this section will be assessed to the insurance company insuring the vehicle(s) involved, as determined by the fire chief. Upon failure to collect the applicable fees from such insurance company following reasonable efforts, or if the vehicle owner(s) is/are uninsured, the applicable fees shall be assessed to the vehicle owner(s) for whom services were provided.

(3)

The fees assessed shall be as established by the village board from time to time by the resolution to recover the actual cost of the service(s) performed and, where applicable, shall include the actual amounts billed to the Village of Mukwonago and/or the Mukwonago Fire Department by contractors and agents of the Mukwonago Fire Department having responded to the vehicle fire call.

(4)

For fire calls on country trunk highways, state trunk highways, and interstate highways, if following reasonable efforts the village is unable to collect the costs for responding to any motor vehicle fire call from the insurer or thereafter from the vehicle owner as provided above, the village shall seek reimbursement as follows:

a.

For vehicles located on any county trunk highway at the time of the fire call, the village shall seek reimbursement from the county that maintains the portion of the county trunk highway on which the vehicle was located in accordance with and subject to the provisions of W.S.A., § 60.557(1); or

b.

For vehicles located on any state trunk highway of any highway that is part of the national system of interstate highways at the time of the fire call, the village shall seek reimbursement from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in accordance with and subject to the provisions of W.S.A., § 60.557(2), even if the fire equipment was not used.

(c)

Charity care policy. The Village of Mukwonago recognizes that not all patients treated and/or transported by the Mukwonago Fire Department Ambulance Service possess the same financial ability to pay for services received. The following information will be forwarded to any individual formally requesting charity care having been treated and/or transported by the Mukwonago Fire Department.

(1)

Charity care requests shall be reviewed by the village board on a case-by-case basis.

(2)

Any grant of charity care will be based upon the charity care policy of the receiving hospital. If the receiving hospital does not have a charity care policy, the policy used by Waukesha Memorial Hospital, as interpreted and applied by the Mukwonago Fire Department Fire Chief, shall apply.

(3)

Any person requesting charity care under this section shall be requested to also apply for charity care at the receiving hospital if such a request has not previously been made.

(4)

Any patient requesting charity care will be requested to sign documents authorizing disclosure of financial and medical information to the village and the Mukwonago Fire Department. Failure to sign such authorization(s) upon request shall constitute disqualification for charity care.

(Ord. No. 867, § I, 5-21-13)