INSURERS – Q & A

The insured pays property taxes, which include the cost of the fire department services, so how is it they are being charged again?

Fire Marque details the areas that show the property owner is not being charged again.

Does Fire Marque Inc. have a legal right to claim reimbursement of these expenses?
Yes, Fire Marque Inc. has an agreement with the Municipality which gives Fire Marque Inc. the legal right to collect funds through Indemnification Technology®. All municipal agreements are available under the Freedom of Information Act.
Can I obtain the names of the firefighters that are listed on the invoice?
No. In accordance with the privacy legislation we can only provide the firefighters’ badge numbers.
How is Fire Marque Inc. paid for their services?
Fire Marque Inc. services are paid in accordance with the agreement signed with the municipality.
When the Fire Marque Inc. invoice is more than the insurance coverage, does the insured have to pay the balance?
No, this is defined by Federal definition of Indemnification Technology®.
Are the Municipalities’ By-Laws enforceable?

Yes. The Insurance Bureau of Canada’s (IBC), Director of Media and Digital Communications, Steve Kee forwarded the following response from the IBC’s Consumer Information Centre staff to Eric Lai at Wheels.ca “I can tell you from experience that these By-Laws are enforceable. I tried the argument that fire departments operating expenses are paid for by my taxes but to no avail. If there is a claim covered by an insured peril, then the Fire Department charges are covered up to a specific limit.