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The Huntington Beach City Council approved an "emergency services cost recovery program," yesterday that will see to it that visitors who cause car accidents while in the city "will now be billed up to $3,000 for emergency response," according to an AP report published on cbs2.
Here's how the new fees break down:
- Pry a trapped person from a wrecked vehicle = $2,000
- Car Fire = $750
- Fire Truck responding to emergency = $405 per hour
The billings, which go to "auto insurance companies or motorists directly if they don't have insurance," are "expected to bring about $100,000 a year." Residents of Huntington Beach are exempt because their use of those services is covered by their local taxes.
