_______________________________________________
HOUSE
BILL 1539
_______________________________________________
Passed
Legislature - 1997 Regular Session
State of Washington 55th
Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By
Read first time 01/30/97.
Referred to Committee on Government Administration.
Regulating
fire district associations.
AN
ACT Relating to fire district associations; and amending RCW 52.12.031.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec.
1. RCW
52.12.031 and 1995 c 369 s 65 are each amended to read as follows:
Any
fire protection district organized under this title may:
(1)
Lease, acquire, own, maintain, operate, and provide fire and emergency medical
apparatus and all other necessary or proper facilities, machinery, and
equipment for the prevention and suppression of fires, the providing of
emergency medical services and the protection of life and property;
(2)
Lease, acquire, own, maintain, and operate real property, improvements, and
fixtures for housing, repairing, and maintaining the apparatus, facilities,
machinery, and equipment described in subsection (1) of this section;
(3)
Contract with any governmental entity under chapter 39.34 RCW or private person
or entity to consolidate, provide, or cooperate for fire prevention protection,
fire suppression, investigation, and emergency medical purposes. In so
contracting, the district or governmental entity is deemed for all purposes to
be acting within its governmental capacity. This contracting authority
includes the furnishing of fire prevention, fire suppression, investigation,
emergency medical services, facilities, and equipment to or by the district,
governmental entity, or private person or entity;
(4)
Encourage uniformity and coordination of fire protection district operations.
The fire commissioners of fire protection districts may form an association to
secure information of value in suppressing and preventing fires and other
district purposes, to hold and attend meetings, and to promote more economical
and efficient operation of the associated fire protection districts. The
commissioners of fire protection districts in the association shall adopt
articles of association as a municipal corporation or articles of
incorporation for a nonprofit corporation, select a chairman, secretary, and
other officers as they may determine, and may employ and discharge agents and
employees as the officers deem convenient to carry out the purposes of the
association. The expenses of the association may be paid from funds paid into
the association by fire protection districts: PROVIDED, That the aggregate
contributions made to the association by a district in a calendar year shall
not exceed two and one-half cents per thousand dollars of assessed valuation;
(5)
Enter into contracts to provide group life insurance for the benefit of the
personnel of the fire districts;
(6)
Perform building and property inspections that the district deems necessary to
provide fire prevention services and pre-fire planning within the district and
any area that the district serves by contract in accordance with RCW
19.27.110: PROVIDED, That codes used by the district for building and property
inspections shall be limited to the applicable codes adopted by the state,
county, city, or town that has jurisdiction over the area in which the property
is located. A copy of inspection reports prepared by the district shall be
furnished by the district to the appropriate state, county, city, or town that
has jurisdiction over the area in which the property is located: PROVIDED,
That nothing in this subsection shall be construed to grant code enforcement
authority to a district. This subsection shall not be construed as imposing
liability on any governmental jurisdiction;
(7)
Determine the origin and cause of fires occurring within the district and any
area the district serves by contract. In exercising the authority conferred by
this subsection, the fire protection district and its authorized
representatives shall comply with the provisions of RCW 48.48.060;
(8) Perform acts consistent with this title and not otherwise
prohibited by law.
