Emergency response cost recovery.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 25-168
in effectSec. 25-168. - Emergency response cost recovery.
(a) Definitions. In this section:
Emergency response means the provision, sending, or utilization of public service, police, firefighting, paramedics, rescue service, or any other agent of the city at an outdoor music event.
Expense of an emergency response means the direct and reasonable costs incurred by the city, or by a private person, corporation, or other entity operating at the request of or direction of the city, through the extraordinary use of public services, when making an emergency response to the outdoor music event, including the costs of providing police, firefighting, emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics, rescue services at the outdoor music event. These costs further include but are not limited to: all of the salaries, wages, workers' compensation benefits and fringe benefits of the city personnel responding to the incident; all salaries, wages, workers' compensation benefits and fringe benefits of the city personnel engaged in investigation, supervision and preparation of post incident reports; cost of equipment operation, cost of materials obtained directly by the city, cost of any labor or materials, and any property damage.
Responsible party means:
(1) the outdoor music event organizer;
(2) the venue operator; or
(3) the property owner of the event location.
(b) Liability for expenses of emergency response. The city may pursue cost recovery fees and expenses from a responsible party for an emergency response in connection with the operation of an unpermitted outdoor music event or a permitted outdoor music event that violated an approved event control plan in the amount of the expense of the emergency response.
(c) Enforcement, billing, and collection of emergency response costs. Any responsible party liable for the expense of an emergency response, who fails to reimburse the city within 30 days of receiving written notice of the emergency response expenses incurred by the city, shall be considered in default. If the responsible party who is liable for the debt refuses to reimburse the city, the city shall pursue collection actions.
(Ord. No. 2022-958, § 5, 12-7-2022)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH25SPEV_ARTVOUMUEVPRPREN_S25-168EMRECOREFetched: 10/26/2026