35-9-204. Issuance of bonds; authority of board to submit
questions to electors; restriction upon amount; interest; purpose. The board of directors of a fire protection district is authorized, whenever a majority thereof so decide, to submit to the electors of the district the question whether the board shall be authorized to issue the coupon bonds of the district in a certain amount, not to exceed four percent (4%) of the assessed valuation of taxable property in the district, and bearing a certain rate of interest, payable and redeemable at a certain time, not exceeding twenty-five (25) years for the purchase of real property, for the construction or purchase of improvements, and for equipment for fire protection district purposes.
35-9-205. Issuance of bonds; conduct of election; canvass of returns.
The election authorized under W.S. 35-9-204 shall be called, conducted and the results thereof canvassed and certified in all respects as near as practicable in the same manner as provided for bond elections by the Political Subdivision Bond Election Law, W.S. 22-21-101 through 22-21-112.
If the proposal to issue said bonds shall be approved, the board of directors must issue such bonds in such form as the board may direct and shall give notice by publication in some newspaper published in the counties in which said district is located and in some newspaper of general circulation in the capital of the state of its intention to issue and negotiate such bonds, and to invite bidders therefor; provided that in no case shall such bonds be sold for less than their full or par value and the accrued interest thereon at the time of their delivery. And the said trustees are authorized to reject any bids, and to sell said bonds at private sale, if they deem it for the best interests of the district.
35-9-207. Issuance of bonds; form of bonds; execution; registration.
After ascertaining the best terms upon and the lowest interest at which said bonds can be negotiated, the board shall secure the proper engraving and printing and consecutive numbering thereof, and said bonds shall thereupon be otherwise properly prepared and executed; they must bear the signature of the president of the board of directors and be countersigned by the secretary of the board and bear the district seal and be countersigned by the treasurer of the board, and the coupons attached to the bonds must be signed by the president, secretary and treasurer; and the secretary of the board shall endorse a certificate upon every such bond, that the same is within the lawful debt limit of such district and is issued according to law and he shall sign such certificate in his official character. When so executed they shall be registered by the county treasurer where said district's funds are kept in a book provided for that purpose, which shall show the number, date, amount of bond, time and place of payment, rate of interest, number of coupons attached and any other proper description thereof for future identification.
35-9-208. Issuance of bonds; payment of principal and interest.
The county treasurer where said district's funds are kept may pay out of any monies belonging to said district tax fund, and from the tax fund of a detracted district as provided in W.S. 35-9-215(b), the interest and the principal upon any bonds issued under this chapter by such district, when the same becomes due, upon the presentation at his office of the proper coupon or bond, which must show the amount due, and each coupon must also show the number of the bond to which it belonged, and all bonds and coupons so paid must be reported to the district directors at their first regular meeting thereafter.
35-9-209. Procedure for proposing establishment of fire protection district.
(a) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, § 5.
(b) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, § 5.
(c) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, § 5.
(d) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, § 5.
(e) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, § 5.
(f) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, § 5.
(g) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, § 5.
(h) Repealed by Laws 1998, ch. 115, § 5.
(j) A fire protection district may be established under the procedures for petitioning, hearing and election of special districts, and subsequent elections shall be held, as set forth in the Special District Elections Act of 1994.
(k) Notwithstanding subsection (j) of this section, a fire protection district may be established through division of an existing fire protection district pursuant to W.S. 35-9-213 through 35-9-215.
35-9-210. District formation initiated by resolution of county commissioners; procedures; conditions.
(a) A fire protection district comprised of lands within unincorporated areas of the county which are not within existing fire protection districts may be created under the following procedure:
(i) The board of county commissioners may, by resolution, identify lands to be included within the proposed district and submit the question of establishing the district to the electors of the proposed district at the next general election. The board shall provide notice that it will consider a resolution under this paragraph at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting at which the resolution will be considered. Notice of the election shall be given as required by W.S. 22-29-110;
(ii) If the establishment of the district is defeated at the election, the board may refuse to provide fire and public safety protection to the area within the proposed district commencing with the succeeding fiscal year. If a majority of the voters in the proposed district voting at the election vote for the establishment of the district, the board of county commissioners shall enter that fact upon its records and the district is established. The board shall hold an election for a district board of directors under W.S. 35-9-202. Districts formed under this subsection are otherwise subject to W.S. 35-9-201 through 35-9-208.
35-9-211. Formation of county commission fire protection districts; procedures; conditions.
(a) As an alternative to the procedures provided by W.S. 35-9-210, a county commission fire protection district comprised of lands within unincorporated areas of the county which are not within existing fire protection districts and which are currently receiving fire protection or public safety services from an existing fire department funded by the county may be created under the following procedure:
(i) The board of county commissioners may, by resolution, identify lands to be included within the proposed county commission fire protection district and submit the question of establishing the district to the electors of the proposed district at the next general election. The board shall provide notice that it will consider a resolution brought pursuant to this paragraph at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting at which the resolution will be considered. Notice of the election to establish the district shall be given as required by W.S. 22-29-110;
(ii) If the establishment of the district is defeated at the election, the board may refuse to provide fire and public safety protection to the area within the proposed district commencing with the succeeding fiscal year. If a majority of the voters in the proposed district voting at the election vote for the establishment of the district, the board of county commissioners shall enter that fact upon its records and the district is established. Following establishment of the district:
(A) Pursuant to the assessed property valuation requirements of W.S. 35-9-202(e) the board of county commissions shall appoint either three (3) or five (5) members to the board who are residents and property owners within the district and who shall serve on the board until the next election of directors, at which time the members of the board shall be elected in accordance with W.S. 35-9-202;
(B) The board of county commissioners shall annually levy a tax on the taxable property in the district as provided by W.S. 35-9-203 and shall expend the proceeds of the tax solely for the support of the fire department or agency providing fire protection or public safety services for the property within the district or outside the district pursuant to a mutual aid agreement as provided in W.S. 35-9-201.
(b) A county commission fire protection district created under this section may, as a condition for a position with the district, require applicants to submit to fingerprinting in order to obtain state and national criminal history record information.
35-9-213. Petition for division; hearing and notice.
(a) Whenever a petition in writing is made to the county commissioners, signed by the owners of fifty percent (50%) or more of the privately owned lands of an area proposed to be detracted from the original fire protection district, who constitute fifty percent (50%) or more of the taxpayers within the proposed detracted area based upon the last completed assessment roll, the county commissioners shall, within twenty (20) days from the receipt of the petition, give notice of the hearing on the petition by:
(i) Mailing a copy of the notice by first-class mail to each landowner in the district at the address shown in the assessment roll;
(ii) Causing a notice thereof to be posted, at least twenty (20) days prior to the time appointed by them for the consideration of the petition, in at least three (3) public places within the proposed detracted area and also in at least three (3) public places within the remaining area; and
(iii) Publishing a notice in the newspapers of general circulation in the area of the district.
(b) The petition for detraction shall describe the boundaries of the proposed detracted area and the boundaries of the remaining area in the manner provided in W.S. 22-29-103(e).
(c) The county commissioners shall, on the day fixed for hearing the petition, or on any legally postponed day, proceed to hear the petition. Prior to the hearing the commissioners shall appoint an individual or group of individuals from the persons signing the petition to act in negotiations on behalf of the proposed detracted area.
(d) If the detracting district is within two (2) or more counties, the county commissioners for purposes of W.S. 35-9-213 and 35-9-214 are the county commissioners of the county where the majority of the detracting district property lies.
35-9-214. Decision on petition for division; protest.
(a) The petition may be granted and the original districts may thereupon be divided into separate districts if at the time of the hearing on the petition the county commissioners determine:
(i) Protests have not been signed by:
(A) The owners of twenty percent (20%) or more of the area of the privately owned lands included within the entire original district who constitute twenty percent (20%) or more of the taxpayers who are landowners within the entire original district based upon the last completed assessment roll; or
(B) The owners of twenty percent (20%) or more of the area of the privately owned lands included within the area of the proposed detracted area who constitute twenty percent (20%) or more of taxpayers who are landowners within the proposed detracted area based upon the last completed assessment roll.
(ii) The districts have in place standard operating procedures that ensure that both districts have the ability to provide fire protection to the satisfaction of the commissioners;
(iii) The boundary changes are in the best interests of the public; and
(iv) The mutual agreement negotiated pursuant to W.S. 35-9-215(a)(i) regarding the distribution of assets is acceptable to the commissioners.
(b) If the required amount of protests are presented as provided in paragraph (a)(i) of this section, the petition for division shall be disallowed.
(c) Upon allowance of a petition for division of a fire protection district, the board of county commissioners shall appoint members to the newly formed board who are residents and property owners within the newly formed district and who shall serve on the board until the initial election of directors, at which time the members of the board shall be elected in accordance with W.S. 35-9-202(a).
(d) Until a board of directors for the newly formed district shall be appointed and until the first tax assessment is received by the newly formed district, the original fire protection district shall remain responsible for provision of fire protection services to the area encompassing the newly detracted fire protection district.
35-9-215. Distribution of assets and liabilities following division.
(a) The division of the assets of the fire protection districts shall be apportioned as follows:
(i) Through a mutual agreement signed by the president of the original fire protection district board and the person or persons appointed to represent the detracted district pursuant to W.S. 35-9-213(c);
(ii) If a mutual agreement cannot be reached as provided in paragraph (i) of this subsection and the assets are located entirely within one (1) county, the board of county commissioners of that county may impose an equitable division of the assets;
(iii) If a mutual agreement cannot be reached as provided in paragraph (i) of this subsection and the assets are located in more than one (1) county, the boards of county commissioners of the counties where the assets are located may negotiate a division of the assets, with each board having an equal vote regardless of the number of commissioners on the respective boards;
(iv) If a mutual agreement cannot be reached as provided in paragraph (i), (ii) or (iii) of this subsection, the district court of the county where a majority of the original district's electors reside shall have jurisdiction to equitably divide the district assets, with each county responsible to pay legal fees and costs in proportion to the division of assets between or among the counties.
(b) Any detracted area shall remain liable for any existing warrant and bonded indebtedness of the original district, which indebtedness shall be apportioned between the divided areas according to their respective taxable valuations.
(c) New fire protection districts created by a division of a fire protection district pursuant to W.S. 35-9-212 through 35-9-215 shall not be treated as a new or reorganized taxing entity for purposes of W.S. 39-13-104(m).
35-9-301. Closing area upon recommendation of county fire warden.
When, upon recommendation of the county fire warden, a board of county commissioners deems the fire danger in a given area of the county to be extreme, because of drought, the presence of an excessive amount of inflammable material or for any other sufficient reason, the board of county commissioners may close the area to any form of use by the public or may limit such use upon recommendation of the county fire warden. This closing shall include prohibition of any type of open fire for such period of time as the board of county commissioners may deem necessary and proper. The county fire warden shall notify the Wyoming state forester of any type of fire closure or the lifting of any type of fire closure under this section.
35-9-302. Access of residents to home or property; contents of order of proclamation.
Provided however, that nothing in W.S. 35-9-301 through 35-9-304 and no order of a board of county commissioners shall prohibit any person residing within the area from full and free access to his home or property, nor prevent any legitimate use thereof by the owner or authorized personnel on ordinary day to day business or lessee of such property. The order of proclamation closing or limiting the use of said area shall set forth the exact area coming under the order, the date on which the order shall become effective, and if deemed advisable, the authority from which permits for entry into said area may be obtained.
The board of land commissioners shall promulgate rules as are necessary to require county fire wardens and boards of county commissioners to carry out the purposes of W.S. 35-9-301 through 35-9-304, and provide for proper notice to the public.
Any entry into or use of any area in violation of this act shall be a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00) or imprisonment in the county jail for not to exceed thirty (30) days or both the fine and imprisonment.
County commissioners may appoint a county fire warden who shall act under the authority of this article [chapter], W.S. 35-9-101 through 35-9-701, and the local governmental authority responsible for fire suppression and fire prevention within the county.
Fire wardens or their duly designated representative shall be responsible for management of fire suppression, fire prevention and related activities, except within any incorporated city, town or fire district, and responsible for coordinating fire suppression and fire prevention activities among all county fire agencies.
Said board of county commissioners, upon receiving notice as aforesaid, or upon personal knowledge, shall have power to and are hereby authorized to abate any such nuisance at the expense of the person or persons, either by causing the same to be removed, or by filling up, or boarding around such excavations, as the case may be; provided, that said commissioners shall first notify the person or persons aforesaid, to abate such nuisances.
35-9-501. Required in private and public buildings;
specifications generally; notices as to location to be posted. Every building now or hereafter used, in whole or in part, as a public building, public or private institution, office building, lyceum, church, theater, public hall, place of assemblage or place of public resort, and every hotel, apartment house, boarding house, tenement house, factory or workshop, three (3) or more stories in height, school and hospital building, two (2) or more stories in height, shall be provided with safe and suitable metallic, tunnel, iron or fireproof ladders or stair fire escapes with guard rail of sufficient strength, attached to the outside walls thereof and extending from or suitably near the ground to the uppermost story thereof, with platforms not less than six by three (6 x 3) feet and of such shape and size and in such proximity to the windows of each story above the first, as to render access to such ladders or stairs from each such story easy and safe to the occupants of such building, in case of fire; and it shall be the duty of every proprietor, custodian, superintendent or person or persons having charge and control of such public buildings mentioned and described herein, to post notices in every hall, and in a public and conspicuous place in such building, designating the places on each and every floor of such building where such fire escapes are located and may be found.
Every building now or hereafter used, in whole or in part, as a public building, public or private institution, office building, lyceum, church, school house, theater, picture show house, public hall, place of assemblage or place of public resort, and every hotel, apartment house, boarding house or tenement house, two (2) stories or less in height, having twelve (12) or more rooms shall be provided with at least two (2) stairways, hallways or means of exit or escape from each story in case of fire. In addition to the above mentioned and described stairways and hallways or means of exit, all doors to every public hall, lyceum, theater, picture show house, or other place of amusement, which is thrown open to and used for the profit of the owner or proprietor or owners or proprietors by public assemblies in the state of Wyoming, shall not be less than three (3) feet in width, and shall swing or open out of and not into said public hall, lyceum, theater, picture show house, or other place of amusement.
35-9-503. Factories, offices and other buildings to be equipped.
Every building now or hereafter used, in whole or in part, as a factory, mill, workshop, garage, office, bakery, laundry, store, and any other building or buildings in which people are employed at manual or other labor, shall be provided with proper and sufficient means of escape in case of fire, by two (2) or more ways of egress, and all doors leading into or to such factory, mill, workshop, garage, office, bakery, laundry, store, and any other building or buildings in which people are employed at manual or other labor, shall not be locked, bolted or fastened during working hours as to prevent free and easy access therefrom.
35-9-504. Exits to be unobstructed; stairways to be lighted.
All such metallic, iron or fireproof ladders or stair fire escapes, stairways, hallways or means of egress, mentioned or described in this act, shall at all times be kept free from any obstruction, in good repair and ready for use; and at night, or where lights are necessary in the daytime, a red light shall be provided with the words inscribed thereon "FIRE ESCAPE". Provided, that on all hotel, theater, school and hospital buildings, two (2) or more stories in height, said stairways shall extend from each floor of said building to the ground and shall not be less than three (3) feet wide; the risers of said stairs shall not be greater than eight (8) inches, and the treads not less than ten (10) inches wide; and the platform not less than three (3) feet wide, and in all cases the full width of the stairs. All such stairs shall have proper guard rails not less than twenty-eight (28) inches high. Where tubing is used for guard rails they shall be not more than ten (10) inches apart; and where balusters are used they shall be not more than six (6) inches apart.
35-9-505. Applicability; fire and safety drills required in schools; supervision of drills.
(a) This chapter shall apply to the trustees of school districts in this state.
(b) In every public and private school in Wyoming, there shall be a fire drill at least once every month. Safety drills may be used in lieu of fire drills if approved by and coordinated with the local fire department provided fire drills are conducted at each school not less than four (4) times during any one (1) academic year and further provided the school's fire alarm is tested at each fire or safety drill. A safety drill includes any organized response to a potential threat to the health and safety of the student population. The school administration shall supervise and administer this subsection and shall determine the types of safety drills appropriate for each school. In localities where a paid fire department is maintained, a fire department member shall be requested to be in attendance at each fire or safety drill conducted within a school for the purpose of instruction and constructive criticism.
Every person, firm or corporation, or his or its agents, officers, directors or trustees, owning or having the management or control of any such buildings or structures herein mentioned or described, who shall fail, neglect or refuse to comply with the provisions of this act not later than October first, nineteen hundred seventeen, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not less than three (3), nor more than six (6) months, or by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each month or fraction thereof in which any building designated in this act shall remain in violation thereof shall constitute a separate offense.
The provisions of W.S. 35-9-501 through 35-9-507 shall not be applicable in any incorporated city or town that has by ordinance adopted a uniform building code which provides among other things adequate and safe means of inside fire escapes, smoke towers and fireproof inclosed stairways and further fixes the types of occupancies and types of buildings subject to the said code.