S-4017

AN ACT Relating to emergency medical service district volunteer benefits; amending RCW 41.24.010; and adding new sections to chapter 41.24 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 41.24.010 and 1989 c 91 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this chapter:

"Municipal corporation" or "municipality" includes any city or town, fire protection district, or any water, irrigation, or other district, authorized by law to afford emergency medical services and protection to life and property within its boundaries from fire.

"Fire department" means any regularly organized fire department or emergency medical service district consisting wholly of volunteer fire fighters, or any part-paid and part-volunteer fire department duly organized and maintained by any municipality: PROVIDED, That any such municipality wherein a part-paid fire department is maintained may by appropriate legislation permit the full-paid members of its department to come under the provisions of chapter 41.16 RCW.

"Fire fighter" includes any fire fighter or emergency worker who is a member of any fire department of any municipality but shall not include full time, paid fire fighters who are members of the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system, with respect to periods of service rendered in such capacity.

"Emergency worker" means any emergency medical service personnel, regulated by chapters 18.71 and 18.73 RCW, who is a member of an emergency medical service district but shall not include full-time, paid emergency medical service personnel who are members of the Washington public employees' retirement system, with respect to periods of service rendered in such capacity.

"Performance of duty" shall be construed to mean and include any work in and about company quarters or any fire station or any other place under the direction or general orders of the chief or other officer having authority to order such member to perform such work; responding to, working at, or returning from an alarm of fire; drill; or any work performed of an emergency nature in accordance with the rules and regulations of the fire department.

"State board" means the state board for volunteer fire fighters created herein.

"Board of trustees" means a board of trustees created under RCW 41.24.060 or, for matters affecting an emergency worker, an emergency medical service district board of trustees created under section 2 of this act.

"Appropriate legislation" means an ordinance when an ordinance is the means of legislating by any municipality, and resolution in all other cases.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. In every county maintaining a regularly organized emergency medical service district there is hereby created and established an emergency medical service district board of trustees for the administration of this chapter. The emergency medical service district board shall consist of the three county commissioners, the county clerk, a councilmember from each city or municipality in the emergency medical service district, the head of the emergency medical service district, and one member of the emergency medical service district to be elected by the members of the emergency medical service district for a term of one year and annually thereafter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The chair of the board of county commissioners shall be chair of the emergency medical service district board of trustees, and the county clerk shall be the secretary-treasurer of the emergency medical service district board of trustees. The secretary shall keep a public record of all proceedings, of all receipts and disbursements made by the emergency medical service district board of trustees and shall make an annual report of its expenses and disbursements with a full list of the beneficiaries of said fund in the county, the record to be placed on file in the county. Such forms as shall be necessary for the proper administration of this fund and of making the reports required hereunder shall be provided by the state board.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The state board shall set the amount consistent with the most recent valuation of the volunteer fire fighters relief and pension fund to be paid for the purposes of this chapter by emergency medical service districts for emergency worker relief and pension fees and by emergency workers for emergency worker pensions. The fees set under this section are subject to the other provisions of this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 2 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 41.24 RCW.