Residents of West Vancouver could soon be paying user fees to be rescued from their vehicles, if the local city council has its way.

West Vancouver Mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones said Thursday Jaws of Life rescues can be expensive.
(CBC)

Council is considering a proposal that would see residents of the Vancouver suburb paying $970 to the fire department if extrication equipment is used to pry them out of a crushed car.

The response from local residents has been cool so far. Some have said they would refuse to pay the proposed fee.

West Vancouver Mayor Pamela Goldsmith-Jones said that while she is sympathetic to their concerns, Jaws of Life rescues can be expensive.

"Council's position is that this is part of the cost of an accident and that the insurer should pay that cost,'' she said.

"Just as when Pay Less is paid for towing your car away, we should be reimbursed for our first-class service to ICBC [Insurance Co. of British Columbia] and obviously their customers,'' she said.

West Vancouver Fire Department Chief Jeff Oates described the Jaws of Life as an essential tool. Without them, he said, some rescues would be impossible.

The concept of charging user fees for extrications was one of the ideas suggested to help the fire department try to increase its revenue this year.

"We had to break new ground to get to [our] proposed goal,'' Oates said.