Thorhild County Council is exploring other options to recover emergency services costs and is seeking residents' input.
The current Emergency Services Bylaw 16-2020 outlines steps Thorhild County takes to recover costs associated with municipal emergency services that are provided on a parcel of land within or outside Thorhild County’s boundaries.
Emergency Services charges can be applied to fire incidents, motor vehicle accidents, and false alarms.
Bylaw 16-2020 authorizes Thorhild County the discretion to issue charges relating to properties where emergency services were provided to the following:
· any person(s) contributing to a fire;
· the occupant of the parcel;
· the owner of the parcel;
· the person with control over the parcel of land; and
· the person(s) who requested emergency services.
Additional Information: Emergency service charges vary but can exceed $100,000 for a response to a single fire-related event.
The Fire and Emergency Services Department’s 2022 operating budget currently is $797,575, and only $300,000 is recovered in fees and charges.
Survey Results: Residents were invited to share their thoughts by participating in a short survey between June 30, 2022, and July 29, 2022. Click here to read the Resident Participant Survey Results.