2021 Oregon Revised Statutes
Chapter 478 - Rural Fire Protection Districts
Section 478.001 - Definitions.


(a) "Board of directors" or "district board" means the governing body of a district.
(b) "County" means the county in which the district, or the greater portion of the taxable assessed value of the district, is located.
(c) "County board" means the county court or board of county commissioners of the county.
(d) "District" means a rural fire protection district proposed to be organized or organized under, or subject to, this chapter.
(e) "Owner" or "landowner" means a legal owner of real property or the vendee of a contract 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 lease or sale, including wholesale and retail, of goods or services, including but not limited to housing, and means any waste produced by a governmental, educational or charitable institution; however, it does not include any waste produced in a dwelling containing four living units or less.
(b) "Demolition material" means any waste resulting from the complete or partial destruction of any man-made structure such as a house, apartment, commercial building or industrial building.
(c) "Domestic waste" means any nonputrescible waste, consisting of combustible materials, such as paper, cardboard, yard clippings, wood, or similar materials, generated in a dwelling, including the real property upon which it is situated, containing four living units or less.
(d) "Field burning" means the burning of any grass field, grain field, pasture, rangeland or other field by open burning or by use of mobile equipment or flaming equipment on any land or vegetation.
(e) "Industrial waste" means any waste resulting from any process or activity of manufacturing or construction.
(f) "Land clearing debris" means any waste generated by the removal of debris, logs, trees, brush or demolition material from any site in preparation for land improvement or construction projects.
(g) "Open burning" means any burning conducted in such a manner that combustion air is not effectively controlled and that combustion products are not vented through a stack or chimney, including but not limited to burning conducted in open outdoor fires, common burn barrels and backyard incinerators. [1969 c.667 §2; 1975 c.635 §3; 1983 c.83 §95; 1983 c.350 §282; 1987 c.834 §5]

Structure 2021 Oregon Revised Statutes

2021 Oregon Revised Statutes

Volume : 14 - Drugs and Alcohol, Fire Protection, Natural Resources

Chapter 478 - Rural Fire Protection Districts

Section 478.001 - Definitions.

Section 478.002 - Status of districts existing in 1957.

Section 478.004 - New district succeeds to and replaces abolished district.

Section 478.010 - Formation; territories that may not be included in districts.

Section 478.100 - Immaterial defects in organization not to invalidate district organization.

Section 478.155 - Formation of district with tax zones; contents of formation petition and order creating district; determination of tax levy in each zone; boundary changes.

Section 478.210 - Directors; organization; term; oath.

Section 478.215 - Position numbers for director election.

Section 478.221 - Nomination and election of directors.

Section 478.225 - Election subdistricts; petition for formation; election.

Section 478.231 - Election laws applicable.

Section 478.234 - Subdistricts for nomination or election of directors.

Section 478.240 - Special elections; electors.

Section 478.250 - Meetings and officers of board.

Section 478.260 - Fire chief; headquarters; fire evacuation routes; emergency medical services.

Section 478.270 - Reports of directors; State Fire Marshal cooperation; uniform forms.

Section 478.300 - Contracting with others to provide facilities and services for fire protection or road lighting; authority over open burning and fire permits; rules.

Section 478.305 - Contracting with others for mutual communication system; contracts in other states.

Section 478.308 - Contracting with others for regional oil and hazardous material emergency response team.

Section 478.310 - Response to fire or public safety incident outside its own territory by district or municipality; liability for costs.

Section 478.315 - Response to fire or public safety incident in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area; payment of costs.

Section 478.335 - Contracts for medical and hospital services or insurance.

Section 478.340 - Payment of premiums or charges on contracts; employee contributions; multiple contracts.

Section 478.355 - Establishment of employee retirement system; provisions of plan.

Section 478.360 - Fund to provide retirement benefits.

Section 478.390 - Investments authorized to fund length of service awards for volunteer firefighters.

Section 478.410 - Power of district to levy taxes, borrow money, sell bonds and create fees.

Section 478.480 - Formation of tax zones; basis for zones; public hearing.

Section 478.485 - Notice of public hearing.

Section 478.490 - Election on question of dividing district into tax zones; order creating zones; effect.

Section 478.495 - Limitation on changes in tax zone boundaries.

Section 478.505 - Petition for tax zones by district electors; number of signatures required; public hearing.

Section 478.665 - Withdrawal of territory from district; inclusion in forest protection district; assessment.

Section 478.840 - Definitions for ORS 478.845 to 478.875.

Section 478.845 - Revenue bonds authorized for fire safety systems.

Section 478.850 - Sources of bond payment restricted.

Section 478.855 - Loan fund created from bond proceeds; other sources for fund.

Section 478.860 - Standards for eligibility for loans for fire safety systems.

Section 478.865 - Loan contract; repayment plan; terms and conditions.

Section 478.870 - Powers granted to enforce loan contracts and secure payment of bonds; reserve fund.

Section 478.875 - Remedies for breach of loan contract.

Section 478.880 - Legislative findings.

Section 478.885 - Payment or repayment for cost of fire safety system installation in multifamily housing.

Section 478.920 - Scope of fire prevention code.

Section 478.930 - Violation of code; failure to remove hazards; burning waste without permit prohibited.

Section 478.940 - Filing and posting of fire prevention code.

Section 478.960 - Burning of certain materials permitted only with permission of fire chief; damage or injury; burning schedules and restrictions.

Section 478.965 - Recovery by district of costs of suppressing unlawful fire; attorney fees.

Section 478.972 - Application by district to State Fire Marshal for identification name.

Section 478.990 - Penalties.