Thanks to those of you who attended my webinar last month on avoiding overpaying fire departments and other public emergency service agencies that respond to environmental spills. The PowerPoint presentation that I used is available to anybody who wants it. Just drop me a line and we'll send it out to you.

We are finding that fire departments and other taxpayer-funded emergency response agencies are becoming bolder in their demands for reimbursement from spill generators. Empowered by local emergency service reimbursement ordinances, these agencies feel that they should be able to recoup all of their costs from spill generators. But they are operating in unfamiliar territory.

In Spill Center's invoice auditing service, we are seeing a broadening disparity in claims. For example, in the 400 fire department invoices we handled last year, we saw hourly charges for a pumper truck ranging from $20 to $500. Charges for other equipment and services also vary widely among fire departments. Sometimes the emergency response agency is not even authorized to seek reimbursement.

Our client service for private fleets, for-hire carriers, truck leasing and rental companies and chemical and insurance companies, includes making requests for documentation from fire departments and other agencies that seek reimbursement. We request the department's fee schedule, copies of records relating to the incident showing time in and out, copies of bills for cleaning and equipment replacement, and a copy of the ordinance or law that authorizes the department to seek reimbursement.

Our role is to get the invoice to the point where it can be evaluated properly. Insurance premiums often are calculated on the amount of money paid out on behalf of the insured party, so it's in the best interest of the insured to determine the real costs and to make sure that they are driven by law. Probably the biggest gray area is deciding what is fair to charge for equipment.

A common problem with emergency services invoices that we see involves incomplete documentation. A $1,200 charge for cleaning firefighters' turnout gear was included on one invoice that we audited, but the department was unable to produce a paid bill from a cleaning or decontamination service. To prevent overpayment, spill generators should always ask to see receipts to back up invoices.

Thanks, again, to those of you who tuned in for the webinar. Later in August I'll take up the topic of "Responding to Demands, Fines and Penalties After Spills." We'll send out the date and time in the next Spill Center Update.

For information about Spill Center's services, visit the website: www.spillcenter.com. Or call me directly at 978-568-1922, x222. Email him at tmoses@spillcenter.com.

Sincerely,

Tom Moses
President
Spill Center  

22 Kane Industrial Drive
Hudson, Massachusetts 01749