WHEREAS municipal fire departments and some Search and Rescue units are called upon to respond to motor vehicle accidents for the purpose of using specialized equipment to extricate occupants of damaged vehicles; AND WHEREAS municipal fire departments and some Search and Rescue units are not being reimbursed by insurance companies for the costs of providing this critical service, and the costs of providing this service should be borne by the automobile insurance carriers of the vehicles involved in such accidents: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities request that the provincial government amend the Insurance Motor Vehicle Act to include fire department and Search and Rescue unit charges for automobile occupant extrication services in the mandatory basic motor vehicle insurance coverage and that this funding be used to make reimbursements to fire departments and Search and Rescue units that are involved in providing this service.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Fire department costs related to attending motor vehicle related incidents within the Province of British Columbia are core municipal services and the responsibility of the municipality, already supported by taxpayers. The resolution would only transfer costs from one entity to another with the ultimate cost being borne by the same ratepayers. Currently, the Provincial Emergency Program funds and supports road rescue outside of municipal jurisdictions for emergency response. Some funding for equipment purchase such as jaws of life and rescue vehicles is available under the Joint Emergency Preparedness Program. An inter-agency committee led by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and including representatives from the Ministry of Transportation, the Fire Chiefs Association, the police, ambulance services, ICBC and others, is examining a variety of topics related to traffic collision response to identify problems and find creative solutions.
INSURANCE CORPORATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Costs related to attending motor vehicle related incidents are core municipal services in British Columbia, which are the responsibility of municipalities and already paid for by taxpayers. Your resolution, B64 - Funding for Automobile Occupant Extrications, suggests a fundamental change to the previous funding of municipal services. This resolution would result in the transfer of costs from one entity to another. The same group of ratepayers would continue to support the costs yet would not see any added benefit from the change proposed. ICBC only collects premiums to cover expected claims. Since the Corporation is not required to indemnify motorists for fire department charges in British Columbia, it does not collect any premium for such charges. An amendment, such as the one proposed in your letter, would therefore require ICBC to seek an equivalent rate increase from the British Columbia Utilities Commission BCUC. ICBC contributes to municipal services through grants in place of taxes. For example, this year the Corporation paid 4.4 million in grants instead of taxes to 31 British Columbia cities, districts, and municipalities. In addition, ICBC is active in a wide variety of road safety and loss prevention initiatives. Last year the Corporation invested 47.5 million in communities throughout the provinces. An interagency government committee, led by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, is currently examining a variety of topics related to traffic collision response. I note you have forwarded your resolutions to the provincial government. I have taken the liberty of forwarding a copy directly to the Honourable John Les, whose Ministry is overseeing the efforts of this committee.