27-23.6 - Provision of fire-fighting or emergency medical services.
§ 27-23.6. Provision of fire-fighting or emergency medical services.
A. Any county, city or town may contract with or provide for any volunteerfire-fighting or emergency medical services companies or associations in thecounty, city or town for the fighting of fire or provision of emergencymedical services in any county, city or town. If such provisions are made bythe county, city or town, the fire-fighting or emergency medical servicescompany shall be deemed to be an instrumentality of the county, city or townand as such exempt from suit for damages done incident to fighting fires orproviding emergency medical services therein. The county, city or town mayelect to provide for the matters authorized in §§ 27-4 and 27-39.
B. Any county, city or town may provide fire-fighting and emergency medicalservices to its citizens by using both government-employed and volunteercompany or association firefighters and emergency medical services personnel.If such a system is utilized, the volunteer fire-fighting and emergencymedical services companies and associations shall be deemed aninstrumentality of the county, city or town, and as such exempt from suit fordamages done incident to providing fire-fighting and emergency medicalservices to the county, city or town. The county, city or town may also electto provide for matters authorized in §§ 27-4 and 27-39.
"Providing fire-fighting or emergency medical services" includes travelwhile performing fire, rescue or other emergency operations in fire-fightingapparatus or other emergency vehicles as described in §§ 46.2-1023 and46.2-920, respectively.
(1970, c. 187; 1982, c. 239; 1991, c. 54; 2001, c. 142; 2002, c. 286.)