ORS Chapter 478

Chapter 478 — RuralFire Protection Districts

 

2009 EDITION

 

 

RURALFIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS

 

PROTECTIONFROM FIRE

 

GENERALPROVISIONS

 

478.001     Definitions

 

478.002     Statusof districts existing in 1957

 

478.004     Newdistrict succeeds to and replaces abolished district

 

FORMATION

 

478.010     Formation;territories that may not be included in districts

 

478.050     Qualificationsfor directors

 

478.090     Effectof 1939 Act on districts then existing

 

478.100     Immaterialdefects in organization not to invalidate district organization

 

478.115     Countygoverning body to determine territory of district

 

478.120     Inclusionof forestland in district

 

478.130     Certainstructures subject to fire damage to be added to tax rolls

 

478.140     Procedurefor adding land to district by consent of owner

 

478.150     Conferencewith State Forestry Department required prior to formation of district orannexation of territory

 

478.155     Formationof district with tax zones; contents of formation petition and order creatingdistrict; determination of tax levy in each zone; boundary changes

 

478.160     Filingof boundary or zone change with county assessor and Department of Revenue

 

POWERSAND DUTIES

 

478.210     Directors;organization; term; oath

 

478.215     Positionnumbers for director election

 

478.221     Nominationand election of directors

 

478.225     Electionsubdistricts; petition for formation; election

 

478.228     Boundariesof subdistricts

 

478.231     Electionlaws applicable

 

478.234     Subdistrictsfor nomination or election of directors

 

478.240     Specialelections; electors

 

478.250     Meetingsand officers of board

 

478.260     Firechief and assistants; headquarters; acquisition of site; fire and first-aidapparatus and equipment; emergency medical and ambulance services

 

478.270     Reportsof directors; State Fire Marshal to cooperate and furnish blank forms

 

478.280     Employmentof assistants

 

478.290     Additionalauthority of districts within 10 mile radius of city of 100,000 or more

 

478.300     Contractingwith others to provide facilities and services for fire protection or roadlighting; authority over open burning and fire permits; rules

 

478.305     Contractingwith others for mutual communication system; contracts in other states

 

478.308     Contractingwith others for regional oil and hazardous material emergency response team

 

478.310     Responseto fire or public safety incident outside its own territory by district ormunicipality; liability for costs

478.315     Responseto fire or public safety incident in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area;payment of costs

 

BENEFITSFOR DISTRICT EMPLOYEES

 

478.325     Districtmay levy taxes for purposes of ORS 478.335 to 478.370

 

478.335     Contractsfor medical and hospital services or insurance

 

478.340     Paymentof premiums or charges on contracts; employee contributions; multiple contracts

 

478.355     Establishmentof employee retirement system; provisions of plan

 

478.360     Fundto provide retirement benefits

 

478.365     Employeecontributions to retirement fund

 

478.370     Retirementbenefits not to be funded for individual not employee of district when membershipin system created

 

BENEFITSFOR DISTRICT VOLUNTEERS

 

478.390     Investmentsauthorized to fund length of service awards for volunteer firefighters

 

REVENUESAND FINANCES

 

(Generally)

 

478.410     Powerof district to levy taxes, borrow money, sell bonds and create fees

 

478.420     Saleof bonds

 

478.430     Advalorem tax

 

478.440     Gifts;sinking fund

 

478.450     Taxfor road lighting; method

 

478.460     Depositand disbursement of funds

 

478.470     Intereston unpaid warrants; limitation on amount of warrants

 

(TaxZones)

 

478.480     Formationof tax zones; basis for zones; public hearing

 

478.485     Noticeof public hearing

 

478.490     Electionon question of dividing district into tax zones; order creating zones; effect

 

478.495     Limitationon changes in tax zone boundaries

 

478.500     Determinationof tax levy in each tax zone

 

478.505     Petitionfor tax zones by district electors; number of signatures required; public hearing

 

(MulticountyDistricts)

 

478.560     Depositand disbursement of funds of districts located in two or more counties

 

WITHDRAWALOF TERRITORY

 

478.665     Withdrawalof territory from district; inclusion in forest protection district; assessment

 

FIRESAFETY SYSTEMS

 

478.840     Definitionsfor ORS 478.845 to 478.875

 

478.845     Revenuebonds authorized for fire safety systems

 

478.850     Sourcesof bond payment restricted

 

478.855     Loanfund created from bond proceeds; other sources for fund

 

478.860     Standardsfor eligibility for loans for fire safety systems

 

478.865     Loancontract; repayment plan; terms and conditions

 

478.870     Powersgranted to enforce loan contracts and secure payment of bonds; reserve fund

 

478.875     Remediesfor breach of loan contract

 

478.880     Legislativefindings

 

478.885     Paymentor repayment for cost of fire safety system installation in multifamily housing

 

FIREPREVENTION CODE; FIRE PERMITS

 

478.910     Adoptionof fire prevention code

 

478.920     Scopeof fire prevention code

 

478.924     Approvalof code by city or county required

 

478.927     Buildingpermit review for fire prevention code

 

478.930     Violationof code; failure to remove hazards; burning waste without permit prohibited

 

478.940     Copiesof code to be filed with State Fire Marshal and posted at fire stations

 

478.960     Burningof certain materials permitted only with permission of fire chief; damage orinjury; burning schedules and restrictions

 

478.965     Recoveryby district of costs of suppressing unlawful fire; attorney fees

 

DISTRICTIDENTIFICATION NAMES

 

478.970     Purposeof district identification names

 

478.972     Applicationby district to State Fire Marshal for identification name

 

478.980     Identificationname for district formed by consolidation or merger of districts

 

478.982     Reuseof names of dissolved districts

 

PENALTIES

 

478.990     Penalties

 

GENERALPROVISIONS

 

      478.001Definitions.(1) As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise:

      (a)“Board of directors” or “district board” means the governing body of adistrict.

      (b)“County” means the county in which the district, or the greater portion of thetaxable assessed value of the district, is located.

      (c)“County board” means the county court or board of county commissioners of thecounty.

      (d)“District” means a rural fire protection district proposed to be organized ororganized under, or subject to, this chapter.

      (e)“Owner” or “landowner” means a legal owner of real property or the vendee of acontract of purchase of real property, if any, to the exclusion of the vendor.The term includes a unit owner, as defined in ORS 100.005.

      (2)As used in ORS 478.960:

      (a)“Commercial waste” means any waste produced in any business involving the leaseor sale, including wholesale and retail, of goods or services, including butnot limited to housing, and means any waste produced by a governmental,educational or charitable institution; however, it does not include any wasteproduced in a dwelling containing four living units or less.

      (b)“Demolition material” means any waste resulting from the complete or partialdestruction of any man-made structure such as a house, apartment, commercialbuilding or in