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