TURNER – Selectmen learned this week that the town has not billed insurance companies and others for fire department coverage of more than 30 car accidents in recent months.

Town office staff blamed a lack of adequate information to complete billings, and discussion of that led to newly appointed Fire Chief Mike Arsenault citing the state police and Androscoggin County Sheriff’s departments.

He said that either or both of those departments complete detailed accident reports that contain all the information needed to complete a billing. The problem, he told selectmen, is that most often those reports are not shared or copied for the Turner Volunteer Fire Department. The Fire Department has to request a copy in writing and $10 must accompany the request.

Chairman Dennis Richardson said that for years the town had “successfully billed for Turner VFD accident coverage costs, so what happened? Why did a working system stop functioning?”

No one had the answer, and no explanation was given for why selectmen were not informed of the problem until more than 30 accidents were not billed.

But Richardson was adamant that the state and county should be sharing the copies of accident reports at the scene. A motion was unanimously approved to have Town Manager James Catlin write to Maj. Tim Doyle of the Maine State Police and Capt. Ray LaFrance of the Sheriff’s Department, notifying them to have their personnel share accident reports with the ranking Turner fire officer at the scene of all accidents.

The letter will state that if either department has a problem with that procedure, an official spokesperson for the department should be present at the Aug. 21 selectmen’s meeting to explain the problem.

Copy the Story Link