Title XXI, PUBLIC SAFETY AND MORALS

321.010. Definitions — election procedure. — 1. A "fire protection district" is a political subdivision which is organized and empowered to supply protection by any available means to persons and property against injuries and damage from fire and from hazards which do or may caus…

321.015. District director not to hold other lucrative employment — exemptions certain counties and employment — lucrative office or employment, defined. — 1. No person holding any lucrative office or employment under this state, or any political subdivision thereof as defined in…

321.017. Employee of fire protection district or ambulance district not to be member of board, exception — former board members ineligible for employment by the board for twelve months. — 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 321.015, no employee of any fire protection dis…

321.020. Circuit court may establish districts. — The circuit court sitting in and for any county of this state, containing all or part of a proposed district, may, as provided in this chapter, establish fire protection districts. ­­-------- (L. 1947 V. I p. 432 § 3, A.L. 1969 H.…

321.030. Petition required for organization of fire district — who to sign. — The organization of a district shall be initiated by a petition filed in the office of the clerk of the circuit court vested with jurisdiction in any county in which all or part of the real property in …

321.040. Contents of petition. — The petition shall set forth: (1) The name of the proposed district consisting of a chosen name preceding the words "fire protection district"; (2) An estimate of the number of inhabitants and of the assessed valuation of the taxable tangible prop…

321.050. Amendment of petition — similar petitions or duplicates. — No petition with the requisite signatures shall be declared null and void on account of alleged defects, but the court may at any time permit the petition to be amended to conform with the facts, by correcting an…

321.060. Filing fee. — There shall be filed with the petition, or petitions, a filing fee in the amount of one hundred dollars to cover the payment of court costs. ­­-------- (L. 1947 V. I p. 432 § 7)

321.070. Publication of notice of hearing — fixing time and place. — Immediately after the filing of such petition or any amended petition changing the boundaries, the court wherein such petition is filed or the judge thereof in vacation shall, by order, fix a time and place not …

321.080. Jurisdiction of proceedings — judge owning property not disqualified. — The circuit court in and for the county in which the petition for the organization of a district has been filed shall thereafter for all purposes of this chapter, except as otherwise provided, mainta…

321.090. Protesting petition may be filed — who to sign — contents. — Any time after the filing of a petition for the organization of a district and before the day fixed for the hearing thereon, a petition may be filed in the office of the circuit clerk, wherein the petition for …

321.100. Hearing — adjudication — corporate powers. — Upon the hearing if it shall appear that a petition for the organization of a district has been signed and presented pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, and that the allegations of the petition are true and that no pro…

321.110. Dismissal of proceedings — costs — review. — Upon the hearing if the court finds that the petition has not been signed, filed and presented pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, or that the material facts are not as set forth in the petition filed, or that sufficie…

321.120. Election before decree becomes conclusive — decree to determine number of directors — ballot form — successor directors, terms — may increase number of directors, exception — ballot, form — terms. — 1. The decree of incorporation shall not become final and conclusive unt…

321.130. Directors, qualifications — candidate filing fee, oath. — A person, to be qualified to serve as a director, shall be a resident and voter of the district for at least one year before the election or appointment and be over the age of twenty-four years. In the event the p…

321.140. Final order establishing district deemed conclusive — quo warranto — collateral attack. — If a final order be entered establishing the district, such order shall be deemed final and conclusive, and no appeal or writ of error shall lie therefrom, and the entry of such ord…

321.150. Filing of copies of findings and decrees incorporating district. — Within thirty days after the final order of the circuit court of the county in which the district has been declared a public corporation, the circuit clerk of that court shall transmit to the county clerk…

321.160. Board members to file oaths of office — surety bonds. — Whenever a district has been declared duly and finally organized, the members of the board shall thereafter qualify within fifteen days by filing with the circuit clerk their oaths of office, which shall be in the f…

321.162. Educational training required for board of directors. — 1. All members of the board of directors of a fire protection district first elected on or after January 1, 2008, shall attend and complete an educational seminar or conference or other suitable training on the role…

321.170. Board to select officers — seal — records. — After taking their oaths and filing their bonds, the board shall choose one of its members as chairman of the board and president of the district, and shall elect a secretary and a treasurer of the board and of the district, w…

321.180. Treasurer's duties — file bond — make annual financial statement. — The treasurer shall keep strict and accurate accounts of all money received by and disbursed for and on behalf of the district in permanent records. He shall file with the clerk of the court, at the expe…

321.190. Attendance fees authorized — reimbursement for expenses — secretary and treasurer, additional compensation, how set, limitation. — Each member of the board may receive an attendance fee not to exceed one hundred dollars for attending each regularly called board meeting, …

321.200. Board meetings, quorum, vacancy — employment, suspension, discharge of employees — deployment of Missouri Task Force One or Urban Search and Rescue Task Force, emergency board meeting. — 1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, the board shall meet regularly, not…

321.210. Election and terms of directors — filing fee. — On the first Tuesday in April after the expiration of at least two full calendar years from the date of the election of the first board of directors, and on the first Tuesday in April every two years thereafter, an election…

321.220. Powers of board — employee benefits plan. — For the purpose of providing fire protection to the property within the district, the district and, on its behalf, the board shall have the following powers, authority and privileges: (1) To have perpetual existence; (2) To hav…

321.221. Municipality purchasing fire protection, annual payments, how computed. — The amount to be paid annually by the municipality to the fire district pursuant to subdivision (16) of section 321.220 shall be the annual assessed value of all property subject to tax in the muni…

321.222. Residential construction — definitions — regulatory system of city or county supersedes fire protection district regulations (Jefferson County). — 1. As used in this section, the term "residential construction" shall mean new construction and erection of detached single-…

321.223. Fire protection districts may contract to provide fire protection to municipalities not in the district, certain counties (including St. Louis County) — may also provide ambulance service, when. — 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any fire pr…

321.225. Emergency ambulance services, may provide — election — tax levy — additional tax levy, paramedic first responder program — defeat of levy, old levy to remain in effect — emergency, defined. — 1. A fire protection district may, in addition to its other powers and duties, …

321.226. Emergency ambulance service outside district — fee for services for all districts — emergency defined. — 1. Any fire protection district which is authorized to provide emergency ambulance service within its district may provide such emergency ambulance service outside it…

321.228. Residential construction regulatory system, preemption of law by local governmental body over fire protection district, when, exceptions. — 1. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean: (1) "Residential construction", new construction and erection of detach…

321.230. Power to levy and collect ad valorem taxes. — For the purpose of providing revenue for such districts, the board shall have the power and authority to order the levy and collection of ad valorem taxes on and against all taxable tangible property within the district, and …

321.240. Tax levy, election, when — form of ballot. — To levy and collect taxes as herein provided, the board shall in each year determine the amount of money necessary to be raised by taxation, and shall fix a rate of levy which, when levied upon every dollar of the taxable tang…

321.241. Additional tax levy, when — form of ballot. — 1. The board of directors of any fire protection district may levy, if a majority of the voters of the district voting thereon approve, in addition to all other taxes heretofore approved, an additional tax of not more than tw…

321.242. Additional sales tax, certain cities — ballot, form — fire protection sales tax trust fund, deposit of funds — abolition of tax, procedure — dissolution of district, effect. — 1. The governing body of any fire protection district which operates within and has boundaries …

321.243. Tax authorized for dispatching center and equipment and services in a certain county — requirements — funds, payment from — board of directors, members, qualifications — St. Charles County, special board, powers — Jefferson County, tax authorized. — 1. Notwithstanding an…

321.244. Reduced tax levy may be increased to maximum limits, by elections, ballot form. — 1. Any fire protection district which has revised or reduced any levy which it has been authorized to impose under the provisions of section 321.225, 321.240, 321.241, 321.243, 321.246, 321…

321.245. Personnel and equipment required for dispatching center. — 1. No central fire and emergency dispatching center shall qualify to receive any funds collected pursuant to section 321.243 and this section unless it meets or will meet, upon the acquisition or retention of equ…

321.246. Fire protection districts, sales tax authorized for districts within certain counties and cities — ballot contents — trust fund — collection by director of revenue — refunds. — 1. The governing body of any fire protection district which operates within both a county with…

321.250. Board to certify rate of levy to county commission. — On or before the applicable date required under section 67.110 of each year, the board shall certify to the county commission of each county within which the district is located a rate of levy so fixed by the board as…

321.260. Matters considered when certifying annual levies — additional levies. — The board in certifying annual levies as herein provided shall take into account, in addition to the amounts necessary for general purposes as herein provided, the maturing indebtedness for the ensui…

321.270. Duty to levy and collect taxes — delinquent taxes constitute a lien. — 1. The body having authority to levy taxes within each county in which all or part of a district lies shall levy the taxes provided in this chapter, and all officials charged with the duty of collecti…

321.280. Property may be sold for nonpayment of taxes. — If the taxes levied are not paid as herein provided, then the delinquent real property shall be sold at the regular tax sale for the payment of said taxes, interest and penalties, in the manner provided by the statutes of t…

321.290. Reserve fund, taxes for. — Whenever any bonded or contractual indebtedness has been incurred by a district, it shall be lawful for the board to levy taxes and collect revenue for the purpose of creating a reserve fund in such amount as the board may determine, to be used…

321.300. Boundaries of districts may be changed, procedure, certain counties — additional training not required, when. — 1. The boundaries of any district organized pursuant to the provisions of this chapter may be changed in the manner prescribed in this section; but any change …

321.301. Extension of boundaries if petition does not include all required signatures, effect — election, ballot form. — 1. If the petition to add any territory or tract of land to the district contained fewer than all of the signatures required pursuant to subdivision (2) of sub…

321.302. Recording of boundary extension, duties — fees. — Within thirty days after the final order of the circuit court extending the boundaries of the district, the circuit clerk of that court shall transmit to the county clerk and to the recorder of deeds in each county in whi…

321.310. Exclusion of property from district on petition of property owners. — 1. Any owner of any real or personal property contained within the boundaries of the district may file with the board a petition praying that such property be excluded and taken from the district. Such…

321.330. Property not to be subject to taxes, when. — All real property included within, or excluded from, a district shall thereafter be subject to the levy of taxes for the payment of any indebtedness of the district outstanding at the time of inclusion or exclusion; provided, …

321.340. Bonds of district. — To carry out the purposes of this chapter, the board is hereby authorized to issue negotiable coupon bonds of the district as herein provided. Bonds shall bear interest at a rate not exceeding six percent per annum, payable semiannually, and shall be…