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Committee adopts amendment to require new fire districts to provide fire protection, not only EMS
Summary
The Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee approved Amendment 5 to House Bill 1113 to prevent newly created fire protection districts from forming solely to provide emergency medical service (EMS) without providing fire service.
The Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee adopted Amendment 5 to House Bill 1113, a change crafted by Senator Garten and Representative Zimmerman that requires any newly created fire protection district to provide fire service and not exist solely to deliver emergency medical service (EMS). The committee adopted the amendment by consent and then moved the bill as amended; the committee recorded a 13–0 vote to advance the bill.
Senator Garten introduced Amendment 5 and described it as a technical but consequential fix: the amendment “ensures that, if a fire district or fire protection district is created, that they have to also provide fire service, that they can't form a district or territory just for the sole purpose of providing EMS service.” Representative Zimmerman said stakeholders had been consulted and supported the change but noted minor cleanup may be needed later.
Chairman Holman asked for the will of the committee; senators approved the amendment by consent and then voted to advance the bill. Committee discussion included a note that Allen County commissioners had been in contact about forming a fire district with two township fire departments and that the amendment addressed concerns raised by that county.
What’s next: HB 1113, as amended, will proceed to the chamber floor for further consideration.
