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County Actors in Providing Fire Services Counties may appoint a fire marshal or assign the duties of a fire marshal to other county employees. The county board of commissioners sets the duties of the fire marshal including but not limited to, advising the board on improvements and assisting volunteer fire departments in improving their capabilities. (G.S. 153A-234) In addition, the board of county commissioners can appoint a three-person fire protection district commission to administer funds to provide fire protection to the district (G.S. 69-25.7) under the supervision of the county commissioners. Funding County Fire Protection Services There are a variety of ways in which a county can finance rural fire protection services: • Appropriate general fund revenue • Establish a rural fire protection district funded by property taxes in response to resident properiy owner petition and a vote • The boazd of commissioners may designate certain areas as service districts and taxes can be levied to fund fire protection. Like a rural fire district, a service district does require additional taxes, but does not require a vote • Fire protection may be funded privately Rural Fire Protection Districts (Chapter 69 of the North Carolina General Statutes) According to G.S. 69-25.1, to establish a tax-supported rural fire protection district 35 percent of residents living in areas outside of the corporate limits of cities or towns must petition for the esta.blishment of a niral fire distric~ After this petition, the board of county commissioners must call an election in the district designated by the petition to ask "qualified voters" for the approval of a special tax on property to provide fire protection in the district. This tax may not exceed 15 cents per $100 of property value. If a nual fire district was established with a valuation of 10 cents per $100 of properiy value, the board of county commissioners may call an election in that district to increase the maximum tax rate to 15 cents. Money generated by this tax should be kept in a special fund used only to furnish fire protection within the rural fire district. In this case, the taxes levied for fire protection may also be used for emergency medical, rescue, and ambulance services. (G.S. 69-25.4) G.S. 69-25.5 describes ways in which the board of county commissioners may use the money collected under the tax levied in the rural fire district. County commissioners may use the funds levied by this tax to provide fire protection by: • Contracting with an incorporated city or town • Contracting with an incorporated nonprofit volunteer fire department or community fire department • Contracting with the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources • Furnishing protection itself if the county has its own fire deparkment • Establishing its own fire department • Using any two or more of the above listed methods Service Districts Under the County Services Dis~trict Act of 1973, the board of county commissioners may create a service district in order to finance, provide, or maintain traditional urban services. This includes fire protection services (153A-301). In order to establish a service district, the board of county 3