HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1556

                  As Amended by the Senate

Title:  An act relating to reporting of deaths or injuries from fire.

Brief Description:  Increasing timeliness of fire death reports.

Sponsors:  Representatives Hatfield, Bush, Romero, McDonald, Dickerson, Ballasiotes, Scott, Radcliff, Poulsen, Delvin, Constantine, Mastin and Murray; by request of Washington State Patrol.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Local Government:  2/11/99, 2/24/99 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/9/99, 96-0.

Senate Amended.

Passed Senate:  4/7/99, 42-0.

                 Brief Summary of Bill

$Requires local fire officials to report to the state Director of Fire Protection within 48 hours.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Mulliken, Republican Co-Chair; Scott, Democratic Co-Chair; Doumit, Democratic Vice Chair; Mielke, Republican Vice Chair; Edwards; Ericksen; Fisher and Fortunato.

Staff:  Scott MacColl (786-7106).

Background:

The Director of Fire Protection, within the Washington State Patrol, is charged with fire protection throughout the state.   Statistical information and data regarding each fire that occurs within the state must be sent to the state fire protection office.  The Chief of the Washington State Patrol, through the Director of Fire Protection, collects, analyzes, and reports statistical fire data, which is compiled into a report published by May 1 of each year and distributed to each chief fire official in the state.

Summary of Bill:

All fire related deaths must be reported within 48 hours to the Director of Fire Protection for the purposes of compiling the statistical report.  The deadline for releasing the report is extended to July 1 of each year.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S): Alters the time line for reporting any fire related death to the state director of fire protection from within 48 hours to within two business days.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:   Fire deaths currently must be reported, but there is no timeline.  Some investigation information from fire deaths was a bit spotty.  The bill will help other fire chiefs in the state make good informed decisions using the report.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Captain Eric Robertson, Washington State Fire Chiefs.