Litchfield Fire Department to collect from insurance companies on certain calls

LITCHFIELD, Maine (WABI) - The Litchfield Fire Department will now pursue cost recovery from insurance companies after responding to certain calls.

Town residents and the Select Board voted Monday to enter a contract with a third-party billing company to collect the money that insurance companies set aside for emergency response teams in their premiums.

This would apply for calls to vehicle crashes and vehicle fires.

Fire Chief Michael Sherman said the process could raise $10,000-$15,000 annually.

Any money received will go into the general fund for future fire department use.

Some residents wondered if they’d be personally billed if this money isn’t set aside in their premium, or if they don’t have insurance - something Chief Sherman assured is not the case.

”The goal of this is strictly to keep it to insurance policies that are all paid up and earmarked for this,” Sherman said. “That’s why at the top of the segment, it says we have the ability to select claims.

“In other words, if for some reason we can’t collect money because there’s no insurance, we will not be billing somebody personally.”

The town also approved more than $125,000 from the general fund for fire station repair and paving.

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