§ 36-8-11-4 — Districts; establishment; authorized purposes

(a) A county legislative body may establish fire
protection districts for any of the following purposes:
(1) Fire protection, including the capability for extinguishing all
fires that might be reasonably expected because of the types of
improvements, personal property, and real property within the
boundaries of the district.
(2) Fire prevention, including identification and elimination of all
potential and actual sources of fire hazard.
(3) If the county legislative body establishes a fire protection
district for either or both of the purposes under subdivision (1) or
(2), in addition to those the fire protection district purposes may
include the provision of emergency medical services (regulated
under IC 16-31-3), basic life support, or advanced life support.
However, this subdivision may not apply, and the purposes under
this subdivision may not be included with regard to the fire
protection district, if another local unit or organization is
providing the services under this subdivision with public funds to
the area served by the fire protection district.
(4) If the county legislative body establishes a fire protection
district for either or both of the purposes under subdivision (1) or
(2), in addition to those the fire protection district purposes may
include the prevention of hazards that may cause loss of life,
injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of
livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or
environmental damage.
(5) Other purposes or functions related to fire protection and fire
prevention.
(b) Any area may be established as a fire protection district, but one
(1) part of a district may not be completely separate from another part.
A municipality may be included in a district, but only if it consents by
ordinance, unless a majority of the freeholders of the municipality have
petitioned to be included in the district.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (d), the territory of a district
may consist of:
(1) one (1) or more townships and parts of one (1) or more
townships in the same county; or
(2) all of the townships in the same county.
The boundaries of a district need not coincide with those of other
political subdivisions.
(d) The territory of a district may consist of a municipality that is
located in more than one (1) county.
[Pre-Local Government Recodification Citations: subsection
(a) formerly 19-1-45-2; 19-1-45-10; subsection (b) formerly
19-1-45-4.]
As added by Acts 1981, P.L.309, SEC.63. Amended by
P.L.36-2000, SEC.3; P.L.156-2025, SEC.1.