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If you get into a car accident and need help from a fire truck, you get it. Starting July 1, you may also get a bill.

The cash-strapped FDNY may soon become one of a growing number of fire departments that charge to help out at accident scenes, for everything from removing people from their vehicles to cleaning up debris.

"Taxes cover a lot of basic responsibilities," explained Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, "but if you are at fault, you're taxing our resources even more, and we feel that the people that do tax our resources even more should pay so that the people that don't tax our resources have the ability to call us if they need us."

Under the plan, which the department says would raise more than $1 million a year, motorists would face the following charges:

• A car fire or "incident with injuries" would set them back $490.
• A vehicle fire without injuries would cost $415.
• Any other vehicle incident without injuries will cost $365.

The department says every motorist involved in an accident could get a bill, but it could be passed on to the person found to be at fault.

The city says the FDNY's budget is the worst in years, and a so-called "crash tax" or "accident tax" is a way to help.

“Would you like them to close firehouses?” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg when asked about the fee. "Or would you like them to have less technology [so] in case something goes wrong they say 'oh, the heck with it'? I don't think so, so they've got to raise the money."

NY1 asked some drivers what they think about the plan. Their reaction? Pretty much what you'd expect.

"It's wrong, completely wrong," said one motorist.

Another said, "I think it's ridiculous. I think we pay taxes that are supposed to be for all these services that they're rendering."

According to the Insurance Information Institute, most drivers would pay out of pocket because most policies have $500 deductibles.

"The insurance companies, they're not going to pay, I'm going to pay,” said an upset New York driver. “My car insurance will increase, and I pay income tax - that's supposed to cover the cops, ambulances. What are my taxes -- which are going up, up, up all the time -- paying for? "

The policy change does not require approval by the City Council, but there will be a public hearing on the proposed charges next month. Things could get...hot.