Who gets ‘incident’ bills?
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Editor,
I read a lot about this (Polson Rural Fire Department incident billing) issue, but I haven't read who it is that will get billed.
Suppose I hit a patch of black ice on Hwy. 93 in county territory not too far outside of Polson city limits. My car does a 360 or two and ends up off the roadway. People in a car following or coming see what has happened and call 911. I am mostly unhurt, car dented by impacting a snow bank, and I call AAA for a tow. Emergency vehicles respond due to the 911 call. I don't need them (or even if I am hurt some, I can refuse treatment and go later for medical aid).
Since I never requested the response, will the 911 caller be billed? Or will nobody be billed? Or will I be billed anyway? And if that happens for services I never requested or needed, what will the attorney costs to the PRFD be if they try to collect? And will this soon cause passers-by not to call 911 at a time someone does need life-saving services?
Half-thought-out decisions by elected officials never cease to amaze me; what does is that here, they are often reelected.
Richard Bell
Polson
