Any town may provide by ordinance for the protection of property within its limits from fire and for the establishment of a town fire department and for the management, discipline and control thereof by the board of selectmen or, if there is a town council, by the town council, or by a board of fire commissioners of such number, chosen in such manner and for such terms as the ordinance provides. The board of selectmen, town council or board of fire commissioners may make regulations for the conduct of the fire department and may appoint, discipline and remove for cause shown all employees of the department and purchase supplies and equipment necessary for its operation; provided, if the ordinance so provides, the board of selectmen, town council or board of fire commissioners shall enter into an agreement with any volunteer fire company or companies within the town for the protection thereof from fire on such conditions as to financial assistance and the observance of the regulations of the board of selectmen, town council or board of fire commissioners as such ordinance prescribes; and provided no town fire department established under the provisions of this section shall supersede any volunteer fire company which is the owner of any building, fire apparatus or other property without having first come to an agreement with such company with regard to the disposition of and compensation for such building, apparatus or other property. Such town may, at any meeting specially warned for the purpose, make appropriations and lay taxes for the support thereof; but this section shall not be operative within the limits of any city, borough or incorporated fire district which has an established fire department. Nothing in this section shall prevent any town, city, borough or incorporated fire district from appropriating funds to a volunteer fire company or companies for services rendered or to be rendered within the confines of such town, city, borough or district by such fire company or companies, provided such town, city, borough or incorporated fire district shall deem it in the public interest to do so.
(1949 Rev., S. 677; 1957, P.A. 13, S. 18; 1959, P.A. 606, S. 1.)
History: 1959 act added provision protecting town's, city's or borough's power to appropriate funds to volunteer fire companies for services.
See Sec. 29-297 re appointment of local fire marshals and deputies.
Firemen perform governmental acts and municipality is not liable for their negligence. 38 C. 368, see also 80 C. 386. Cited. 196 C. 192.
Section does not prohibit a municipal fire department established by a municipal charter from superseding volunteer fire companies because section pertains only to fire departments established by ordinance and not ones established by municipal charters. 159 CA 708.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 104 - Municipal Police and Fire Protection
Section 7-275. - Meetings of commissioners. Vacancies.
Section 7-276. - Powers of commissioners.
Section 7-277. - Town to bear expense.
Section 7-277a. - Police assistance agreements.
Section 7-279. - Subpoena to appear before municipal police commissioners.
Section 7-280. - Witness fees.
Section 7-281a. - Free use of COLLECT system.
Section 7-282. - Municipal accident and police records.
Section 7-282a. - Reporting of bomb incidents.
Section 7-282b. - Automatic telephone alarms.
Section 7-282d. - Imposition of pedestrian citation or traffic ticket quotas prohibited.
Section 7-283. - Employment of private detectives.
Section 7-284. - Police protection at places of amusement.
Section 7-285. - Sale of unclaimed goods by police departments.
Section 7-286. - Police matrons in certain cities.
Section 7-287. - Female prisoners under care of police matron.
Section 7-288. - Duty of police matron.
Section 7-289. - Qualifications of matron; salary; removal.
Section 7-290. - Separate station for female prisoners.
Section 7-291. - Police surgeons.
Section 7-291b. - Guidelines re recruitment, retention and promotion of minority police officers.
Section 7-291e. - Requirements re provision of behavioral health assessments to police officers.
Section 7-292. - Adoption of forty-hour week for policemen.
Section 7-294. - Earnings not affected.
Section 7-294a. - Police Officer Standards and Training Council: Definitions.
Section 7-294b. - Members of council. Holding of other office.
Section 7-294c. - Submission of annual report by council to Governor and General Assembly.
Section 7-294dd. - Reimbursement for cost of police officer certification.
Section 7-294e. - Recertification of police officers. Regulations.
Section 7-294hh. - State and local police policy concerning crowd management. Regulations. Training.
Section 7-294mm. - Timely notification by a peace officer of a death.
Section 7-294o. - Development and implementation of policy re missing person reports. Training.
Section 7-294t. - Eyewitness Identification and Emerging Technologies Task Force.
Section 7-294w. - State and local police training programs to include traffic incident management.
Section 7-294x. - Council to provide training to public school security personnel.
Section 7-294aaa. - Establishment of civilian police review boards.
Section 7-295. - Acceptance of part.
Section 7-296. - Reserve fund of police department.
Section 7-297. - Veteran reserve; retirement; death benefits.
Section 7-298. - Removal of policemen not restricted.
Section 7-299. - City ordinances.
Section 7-300. - Establishment of funds in towns and boroughs.
Section 7-301. - Establishment of fire department.
Section 7-302. - Hearing prior to dismissal of fire department head. Appeal.
Section 7-303. - “Municipality”, “work” and “duty” defined.
Section 7-304. - Participation of municipalities.
Section 7-307. - Age requirement for veterans.
Section 7-309. - Liability for damage caused by motor vehicle used for fire fighting.
Section 7-311. - Liability for delay in reporting fire or other emergency.
Section 7-312. - Liability as to use of water holes.
Section 7-313a. - Fire police.
Section 7-313b. - Authority of fire department officer to order removal of persons.
Section 7-313c. - Indemnification for educational expenses.
Section 7-313d. - Local fire department's authority to inspect state facilities.
Section 7-313e. - Authority of fire officer during emergency.
Section 7-313f. - Authority of fire chiefs at certain state facilities.
Section 7-313g. - “Firefighter” defined.
Section 7-313h. - Firefighters cancer relief account.
Section 7-313j. - Firefighters cancer relief program established.
Section 7-313l. - Firefighter training on resilience and self-care techniques.
Section 7-313m. - Grants to distressed municipalities for volunteer firefighter training.
Section 7-313o. - Firefighter turnout gear. Maintenance and remediation of toxic substances.
Section 7-314. - Definitions. Exemption from Freedom of Information Act.
Section 7-314a. - Death, disability and injury benefits. Presumption.
Section 7-314c. - Assumption of liability by the state for volunteer firefighters.
Section 7-322a. - Benefits for volunteers rendering service to another fire company.
Section 7-322d. - Election of officers. Ballots exempt from Freedom of Information Act.
Section 7-323. - Application of part.
Section 7-323a. - Definitions.
Section 7-323b. - Acceptance of part.
Section 7-323c. - Benefit fund established.
Section 7-323d. - Actuarial studies of fund experience.
Section 7-323f. - Insurance policies to provide benefits authorized.
Section 7-323g. - Withdrawal of acceptance.
Section 7-323h. - Municipal liability for maintaining benefits.
Section 7-323i. - Administration of fund.
Section 7-323j. - Definitions.
Section 7-323k. - Commission on Fire Prevention and Control.
Section 7-323l. - Duties of Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. Regulations.
Section 7-323m. - Exceptions, voluntary cooperation.
Section 7-323n. - Office of State Fire Administration.
Section 7-323o. - State Fire Administrator, appointment and duties.
Section 7-323q. - Indemnification of fire service instructors.
Section 7-323t. - Municipal contracts prohibiting paid emergency personnel from volunteer service.
Section 7-323u. - Regional fire school. Notice and hearing. Appeals. Regulations.