Oklahoma § 18-593 - Fire departments for unincorporated areas - Service fees Insurance

§ 18-593. Fire departments for unincorporated areas - Service fees Insurance

A. Any charitable corporation formed for the purpose of

providing either a volunteer or a full-time fire department,

pursuant to Section 592 of this title, shall have authority to

establish a reasonable schedule of fees to be charged for its

services in extinguishing fires and all other emergencies of its

members and nonmembers who utilize such fire department to

extinguish or control a fire or provide services in response to an

emergency either within or without the unincorporated area wherein

it is situated. Such schedule of fees may contain one fee for

members and another fee for nonmembers, except that no fee shall be

established in excess of the approximate cost of providing the

service. Any member or nonmember utilizing the services of such a

fire department to extinguish or control a fire or provide services

in response to an emergency shall be liable to said corporation in

the amount of the established fee. However, no fee shall be charged

by a fire department for merely appearing at the scene of a

controlled fire unless called by the person setting the fire or at

such person's request. If it is necessary for suit to be brought

for collection of such amount due, such liability shall include

costs of suit and a reasonable attorney's fee.

B. If insurance coverage is provided for the fee specified in

subsection A of this section or for the cost of providing the

service rendered by the fire department and an insurer makes payment

for the service it shall be the duty of the insured party or the

responding fire department to notify the insurer of services

rendered. The instrument of payment for the services of the fire

department shall be made to the order of the responding fire

department and the insured.

Added by Laws 1957, p. 143, § 2. Amended by Laws 1983, c. 100, §

18, emerg. eff. May 9, 1983; Laws 1989, c. 172, § 1, emerg. eff. May

8, 1989; Laws 1993, c. 8, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Laws 2014, c.

343, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2014.