Andorra fire service seeks reimbursement in about 100 cases after new billing rule

The Andorra fire service has sought reimbursement for the cost of its interventions on roughly one hundred occasions in the first year since a new regulation gave the corps the power to bill for certain deployments. The cases cover preventive deployments at events, non-emergency tasks and responses where beneficiaries are judged to have acted with negligence, recklessness or lack of foresight.

Jordi Farré, director of the department of prevention and fire suppression, raised the figure while taking part in a demonstration of a heavy‑lift unmanned aerial rescue. He said the measure is not intended to be revenue‑generating but to make people aware that deploying public resources has a cost and can expose professionals to risk. He noted that the appeals process has already helped correct irregularities or imprecisions in the new regulation.

The department can seek costs in situations that do not fall under what the state is expected to cover — namely truly urgent or unavoidable emergencies. Examples cited include incidents caused by negligence or recklessness, preventive coverage for sporting events or similar activities, requests to remove discarded items, cleaning of roadways, and the use of specialised vehicles such as ladder trucks.

Farré emphasised two main objectives for applying the reimbursement regime: to encourage people to go into the mountains properly equipped and with sufficient knowledge for their planned activity, and to underline the value and cost of the services firefighters provide. He warned that imprudent behaviour can trigger the activation of public resources and may put rescuers’ lives at risk.

Opening a reimbursement case does not mean the invoice has been paid. Those facing a claim can file administrative appeals, and the department said the procedure can be lengthy; several files remain in progress and it is not yet possible to say how many have led to effective payments.

Farré also used the event to urge increased caution after a fatal avalanche in the Isards area near Pas de la Casa at the end of November, in which a 32‑year‑old skier was killed. He stressed the importance of carrying essential avalanche safety equipment — a transceiver (DVA), shovel and probe — and noted that the accident, occurring early in the winter season with relatively little snow, highlights that danger can appear even without heavy accumulations. The fire service said investigation of the incident is the responsibility of the Mountain Police and that firefighters do not yet have details on the circumstances.