The collection of fire fees could be a good thing for Carroll County, but only if those fees don’t put extra burdens on those affected by fires.

The Carroll County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing regarding a proposed fire fee ordinance at its Sept. 14 meeting. If passed, the fire fee structure would be $500 for a vehicle fire, $1,000 for a residential structure fire and $1,000 for a commercial structure fire. Vegetation fires would be charged at $100 per acre and $100 per each additional acre. False alarm fees would be imposed for three false alarms in a six-month period at $300 per call. The county would most likely do soft-billing for these situations similar to the way it currently sends EMS bills.

As Hillsville Volunteer Fire Department Chief Mike Musser said, the cost of the firefighting industry is extremely expensive. Even though Carroll County does receive state funds for firefighting, “that just touches the tip of the iceberg on expenses.” The collection of fire fees could eventually bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars for the county’s fire departments over time. But speaking on behalf of the HVFD, Musser expressed the department’s concerns about the fees if they were to cause insurance premiums to go up for property owners in the case of a fire.

“Basically we are of the standpoint of we don’t want to kick a person when they are down,” Musser said. “We don’t want someone to lose their home to a fire and then in 30 to 60 days to get a bill for $1,000.”

That scenario would certainly be a lose-lose situation for Carroll County. The board is elected to protect the citizens of the county and their best interest. Charging someone $1,000 after they have just lost their home certainly does not fit that bill. If the money is available through insurance companies and doesn’t affect the insurance premiums for Carroll citizens, that is another matter. Firefighting is expensive, and maintenance and replacement of county vehicles is a constant cost to the county. But it shouldn’t have to come at an increased burden to the taxpayers, especially ones that have just lost a home or vehicle to a fire.