178-D - Costs, expenses and damages a fire district charge in certain cases.

§ 178-d. Costs, expenses and damages a fire district charge in certain  cases.  Whenever  the  fire  district  commissioners  or  board  of fire  commissioners of any fire district, or any fire district officers,  have  been or shall be instructed by a resolution adopted at a regular special  meeting  of the board of fire commissioners to defend any action brought  against them, or to bring or defend an action  or  proceeding  affecting  any  district property or claim of the district, or involving its rights  or interests, or to continue any such action or defense, all their costs  and reasonable expenses, as well  as  all  costs  and  damages  adjudged  against  them,  shall  be a district charge and shall be levied upon the  taxable property of such district in the same manner  as  moneys  raised  for   the   support   of  such  district.  Whenever  any  fire  district  commissioner or  fire  district  officer  shall  defend  any  action  or  proceeding,  other than a criminal proceeding, hereafter brought against  him, arising out of the exercise of his powers or the performance of his  duties,  provided  such  commissioner  or  officer  was  acting  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  and within the scope of his authority at the  time damages were sustained, all his reasonable costs and  expenses,  as  well  as all costs and damages adjudged against him, shall be a district  charge and shall be levied upon the taxable property of such district in  the same manner as money  raised  for  the  support  of  such  district,  provided  (a)  such  fire district commissioner or fire district officer  shall  notify  the  board  of  fire  commissioners  in  writing  of  the  commencement  of such action or proceedings against him within five days  after  service  of  process  upon  him;  and  (b)  the  board  of   fire  commissioners  shall, at any time during the ten days next following the  notice to them of the commencement of such action or  proceedings,  have  the  right  to designate and appoint the legal counsel to represent such  fire district commissioner or fire district officer in  such  action  or  proceedings  against  him,  in  the  absence  of  which  designation and  appointment within the time specified such fire district commissioner or  fire district officer may select his own legal counsel.