Fire protection districts (Districts) are created to provide fire prevention, fire suppression, and emergency services within a district's boundaries. A District may be established through voter approval. A District may be financed by imposing regular property taxes, excess voter-approved property tax levies, and benefit charges. A District is governed by a board of commissioners (Board) composed of three, five, or seven members who are registered voters residing in the District.

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Districts are authorized to:

• lease, operate, and provide fire and emergency medical apparatus and all other necessary facilities and equipment for the prevention and suppression of fires, provide emergency medical services, and the protection of life and property;
• lease, own, maintain, and operate real property for housing, repairing, and maintaining their apparatus, facilities, machinery, and equipment;
• contract with other governmental or private entities to consolidate, provide, or cooperate for fire prevention, protection, fire suppression, investigation, and emergency medical purposes;
• encourage uniformity and coordination of District operations;
• enter into contracts for life insurance for fire District personnel;
• perform building and property inspections deemed necessary to provide fire prevention services and prefire planning within the District; and
• determine the origin and cause of fires occurring within the District.

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By resolution of the Board, a District with a fully-paid fire department may provide for civil service in its fire department.

A District that has adopted civil service in its fire department may dissolve its civil service system if:

• the Board adopts a resolution to dissolve the civil service system; and
• a majority of the civil service employees employed by the District vote to dissolve the civil service within 60 calendar days of the adoption of the resolution by the Board.