Title 52 — Title 52 FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS

Actions taken under chapter 52.02 RCW may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.[ 1989 c 84 s 41.]

(1) Fire protection districts for the provision of fire prevention services, fire suppression services, emergency medical services, and for the protection of life and property are authorized to be established as provided in this title.(2) In addition to other services authorized …

(1) For the purpose of the formation of a fire protection district, a petition designating the boundaries of the proposed district, by metes and bounds, or by describing the lands to be included in the proposed district by United States townships, ranges and legal subdivisions, s…

The county auditor who certifies the sufficiency of the petition shall notify the person or persons who submitted the petition of its sufficiency or insufficiency within five days of when the determination of sufficiency or insufficiency is made. Notice shall be by certified mail…

(1) A public hearing on the petition shall be held by the county legislative authority of the county in which the proposed fire protection district is located if: (a) No boundary review board exists in the county; (b) jurisdiction by the boundary review board over the proposal ha…

Notice of the public hearing by the county legislative authority on such a proposal shall be published for three consecutive weeks in the official paper of the county prior to the date set for the hearing and shall be posted for not less than fifteen days prior to the date of the…

At the time and place of the hearing on the petition or at any adjournment thereof, the county legislative authority shall consider the petition and shall receive evidence as it deems material in favor of or opposed to the formation of the district or to the inclusion or exclusio…

The county legislative authority has the authority to consider the petition and, if it finds that the lands or any portion of the lands described in the petition, and any lands added thereto by petition of those interested, will be benefited and that the formation of the district…

The election on the formation of the district and to elect the initial fire commissioners shall be conducted by the election officials of the county or counties in which the proposed district is located in accordance with the general election laws of the state. This election shal…

If three-fifths of all the votes cast at the election were cast in favor of the ballot proposition to create the proposed fire protection district, the county legislative authority of the county in which all, or the largest portion of, the proposed district is located shall by re…

Any person or entity having a substantial interest and feeling aggrieved by any finding, determination, or resolution of the county legislative authority in the proceedings for the organization of a fire protection district under this title, may appeal within five days after the …

After the expiration of five days from the approval of the resolution of the county legislative authority declaring the district to be organized, and the filing of the certified copies of the resolution of the county legislative authority with the county auditor and the county as…

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2442-S.SL) ***(1) As an alternative to the petition method of formation for fire protection districts provided in this chapter, the legislative authority of a city or town may by resolution, subject to the approval of the voters, establish a fire prote…

(1) A fire protection district may establish an ambulance service to be operated as a public utility. However, the fire protection district may not provide for the establishment of an ambulance service utility that would compete with any existing private ambulance service unless …

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2442-S.SL) ***(1) Except as provided otherwise in the resolution adopted by the legislative authority of a city or town establishing a fire protection district under RCW 52.02.160, all powers, duties, and functions of the city or town fire department p…

Actions taken under chapter 52.04 RCW may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.[ 1989 c 84 s 42.]

(1) A territory located within reasonable proximity to a fire protection district and not within the boundaries of a city, town, or other fire protection district may be annexed to the fire protection district by petition of fifteen percent of the qualified registered electors re…

The method of annexation provided for in RCW 52.04.031, 52.04.041, and 52.04.051 shall be an alternate method to that specified in RCW 52.04.011.[ 1984 c 230 s 23; 1965 c 59 s 1. Formerly RCW 52.08.065.]

A petition for annexation of an area located within reasonable proximity to a fire district shall be in writing, addressed to and filed with the board of fire commissioners of the district to which annexation is desired. Such territory may be located in a county or counties other…

If the petition for annexation filed with the board of commissioners complies with the requirements of law, the board may accept the petition, fix a date for public hearing, and publish notice of the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation in the area proposed to be annexed…

After the hearing, the board of fire commissioners shall determine by resolution whether the area shall be annexed. It may annex all or any portion of the proposed area but may not include in the annexation property not described in the petition. The proposed annexation shall be …

(1) As provided in this section, a fire protection district may withdraw areas from its boundaries, or reannex areas into the fire protection district that previously had been withdrawn from the fire protection district under this section.(2) The withdrawal of an area shall be au…

(1) A city or town located within reasonable proximity to a fire protection district may be annexed to such district if at the time of the initiation of annexation the population of the city or town is 300,000 or less. The legislative authority of the city or town may initiate an…

The county legislative authority or authorities shall by resolution call a special election to be held in the city or town and in the fire protection district at the next date according to RCW 29A.04.321, and shall cause notice of the election to be given as provided for in RCW 2…

The annual tax levies authorized by chapter 52.16 RCW shall be imposed throughout the fire protection district, including any city or town annexed thereto. Any city or town annexed to a fire protection district is entitled to levy up to three dollars and sixty cents per thousand …

When any city, code city, or town is annexed to a fire protection district under RCW 52.04.061 and 52.04.071, thereafter, any territory annexed by the city shall also be annexed and be a part of the fire protection district.[ 2017 c 326 s 4; 2009 c 115 s 4; 1989 c 76 s 1.]

The legislative body of such a city or town which has annexed to such a fire protection district may, by resolution, present to the voters of such city or town a proposition to withdraw from said fire protection district at any general election held at least three years following…

(1) When any city, code city, or town is annexed to a fire protection district under RCW 52.04.061 and 52.04.071, any employee of the fire department of such city, code city, or town who: (a) Was at the time of annexation employed exclusively or principally in performing the powe…

(1) An eligible employee may transfer into the fire protection district civil service system, if any, or if none, then may request transfer of employment under this section by filing a written request with the board of fire commissioners of the fire protection district and by giv…

When a city, code city, or town is annexed to a fire protection district and as a result any employee is laid off who is eligible to transfer to the fire protection district pursuant to this section and RCW 52.04.111 and 52.04.121, the city, code city, or town shall notify the em…

Any attempted annexation in 1987 and thereafter by a fire protection district of contiguous territory, that is located in a county other than the county in which the fire protection district was located, is validated where the annexation would have occurred if the territory had b…

Any fire protection district located in a single county that annexes territory in another county shall be identified by the name of each county in which the fire protection district is located, listed alphabetically, followed by a number that is the next highest number available …

If the area of a newly incorporated city or town is located in one or more fire protection districts, the city or town is deemed to have been annexed by the fire protection district or districts effective immediately on the city's or town's official date of incorporation, unless …

All property located within the boundaries of a city, or town annexing into a fire protection district, which property is subject to an excess levy by the city or town for the repayment of voter-approved indebtedness for fire protection related capital improvements incurred prior…

(1) On September 13, 2017, the joint legislative audit and review committee distributed the 17-06 final report: Fees assessed for forest fire protection. The report identified more than twenty thousand parcels of land that do not pay the forest fire protection assessment or a loc…

Actions taken under chapter 52.06 RCW may be subject to potential review by a boundary review board under chapter 36.93 RCW.[ 1989 c 84 s 43.]

(1) A fire protection district may merge with another fire protection district located within a reasonable proximity, on such terms and conditions as they agree upon, in the manner provided in this title. The fire protection districts may be located in different counties. The dis…

To effect such a merger, a petition to merge shall be filed with the board of the merger district by the commissioners of the merging district. The commissioners of the merging district may sign and file the petition on their own initiative, and they shall file a petition when it…

The board of the merger district may, by resolution, reject or approve the petition as presented, or it may modify the terms and conditions of the proposed merger, and shall transmit the petition, together with a copy of its resolution to the merging district.If the petition is a…

The board of the merging district shall notify the board of the merger district of the results of the election. If a majority of the votes cast at the election favor the merger, the respective district boards shall adopt concurrent resolutions, declaring the districts merged, und…

If three-fifths of all the qualified electors in the merging district sign the petition to merge, no election on the question of the merger is necessary and the auditor, or lead auditor if the merging district is located in more than a single county, shall return the petition, to…

None of the obligations of the merged districts or of a local improvement district located in the merged districts may be affected by the merger and dissolution, and all land liable to be assessed to pay any of the indebtedness shall remain liable to the same extent as if the dis…

The commissioners of the merging district shall, upon completion of the merger, transfer, convey, and deliver to the merged district all property and funds of the merging district, together with all interest in and right to collect any assessments previously levied.[ 1984 c 230 s…

(1) Whenever two or more fire protection districts merge, the board of fire commissioners of the merged fire protection district shall consist of all of the fire commissioners of the districts that are merging, including a person who is elected as a fire commissioner of one of th…

A part of one district may be transferred and merged with a district located within reasonable proximity if the area can be better served by the merged district. To effect such a merger, a petition, signed by a majority of the commissioners of the merging district or signed by no…

If the partial merger petition has been approved by the commissioners of the merging district and the merger district and if three-fifths of the qualified electors in the area to be merged sign a petition to merge the districts, no election on the question of the merger is necess…

When any portion of a fire protection district merges with another fire protection district, any employee of the merging district who (1) was at the time of merger employed exclusively or principally in performing the powers, duties, and functions which are to be performed by the…

(1) An eligible employee may transfer into the merger district by filing a written request with the board of fire commissioners of the merger district and by giving written notice to the board of fire commissioners of the merging district. Upon receipt of such request by the boar…

If, as a result of merging of districts any employee is laid off who is eligible to transfer to the merger district under this section and RCW 52.06.110 and 52.06.120, the merging district shall notify the employee of the right to transfer and the employee shall have ninety days …

A merger fire protection district located in a single county, that merged with a merging fire protection district located in another county or counties, shall be identified by the name of each county in which the fire protection district is located, listed alphabetically, followe…