H-3002.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2493

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By Representatives Jackley, Mulliken, Dunshee, Ogden, Dunn, Wood and Casada

Read first time 01/18/2002.  Referred to Committee on Local Government & Housing.

Removing the limitation on the number of volunteer fire fighters.

    AN ACT Relating to volunteer fire fighters; and amending RCW 41.24.050.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 41.24.050 and 1989 c 91 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

    ((Each municipal corporation shall by appropriate legislation limit the membership of its volunteer fire department to not to exceed twenty-five fire fighters for each one thousand population or fraction thereof:  PROVIDED, That any fire department maintaining and operating an emergency first aid and ambulance service requiring emergency medical training under chapter 18.73 RCW shall be permitted to increase its membership by the number of fire fighters obtaining and maintaining such qualification:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That)) No person serving as an emergency medical technician or first aid vehicle operator under chapter 18.73 RCW shall be permitted to join the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system solely on the basis of such service((:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That)).  In no case shall the membership of any fire department coming under the provisions of this chapter be limited to less than fifteen fire fighters.

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