[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of East Goshen 4-18-2023 by Ord. No. 129-D-2023. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
Authority. Under Section 1803(b) of the Second Class Township Code, 53 P.S. § 66803(b), the Township has the authority to make rules and regulations for the government of fire companies located within the Township.
B. 
Findings. The Township recognizes that the duties of volunteer fire companies require specialized emergency rescue tools and equipment, emergency rescue materials, hazardous material abatement equipment and hazardous abatement materials during emergency responses. The Township recognizes that such tools and equipment place a financial burden on volunteer fire companies and the replacement of such materials and specialized training add to the additional financial burden for volunteer fire companies.
C. 
Purpose. To grant each fire company operating in East Goshen Township ("Fire Departments") the authority to seek reimbursement for the reasonable costs of responding to such incidents in their service area, either directly or in coordination with the Office of Emergency Management, as provided below.
A. 
The Township authorizes the Fire Departments serving East Goshen Township to recover the reasonable costs of emergency rescue tools, equipment and materials; hazardous material abatement tools, equipment and materials; and personnel hours involving any hazardous material, environmental, fire safety and/or rescue incident or operation, including vehicular accidents which occur in their service area, as adopted by resolution of the Board.
B. 
The reasonable costs outlined above may be recovered directly by the Fire Departments or through a third-party billing service as an authorized agent for the collection of such costs.
C. 
The Fire Departments or third-party billing service shall only have the authority to recover the aforementioned costs in the Fire Department's service area from the applicable insurance company/carrier up to the limit of the applicable insurance company's/carrier's policy limits.
D. 
The reimbursement rates for the aforementioned tools, equipment and materials shall be set by the Fire Departments from time to time and shall be only applied to the recovery of costs arising out of incidents that occurred subsequent to the setting of the rates. These rates shall be approved by resolution of the Board of Supervisors and be kept on file in the Township Building.
E. 
In addition to the aforementioned reasonable costs, the Fire Departments or third-party billing service shall be authorized to collect reasonable interest, as well as a reasonable administrative fee for collecting the same, and any all additional fees as may be authorized by the Hazardous Material and Emergency Planning Response Act or authorized by any other statute or law.
F. 
Fire Departments who respond to a fire in another Fire Department's service area are not authorized to bill for their costs. Only the Fire Department in whose service area the fire occurs may bill for their costs.
A. 
The Township shall not be responsible for any aspect of the recovery of costs under this chapter. The Township shall not take any steps to assist the Fire Departments or any third-party billing service in recovery of costs under this chapter.
B. 
The Township shall not be responsible to reimburse the Fire Departments for any services rendered to the Township or Township personnel or vehicles while on duty.
Any attempt by a Fire Department or third-party billing service to recover costs from any individual/entity other than the appropriate insurance company/carrier shall result in the immediate revocation of the authority to recover such costs granted under this chapter.