Because of the possibility of the occurrence of disastrous fires or other disasters of unprecedented size and destructiveness, the need to insure that the state is adequately prepared to respond to such a fire or disaster, the need to establish a mechanism and a procedure to provide for reimbursement to state agencies and local agencies that respond to help others in time of need or to a host fire district that experiences expenses beyond the resources of the fire district, and generally to protect the public peace, health, safety, lives, and property of the people of Washington, it is hereby declared necessary to:

(1) Provide the policy and organizational structure for large scale mobilization of all risk resources in the state through creation of the Washington state fire services mobilization plan;

(2) Confer upon the chief the powers provided herein;

(3) Provide a means for reimbursement to state agencies and local fire jurisdictions that incur expenses when mobilized by the chief under the Washington state fire services mobilization plan; and

(4) Provide for reimbursement of the host fire department or fire protection district when it has: (a) Exhausted all of its resources; and (b) invoked its local mutual aid network and exhausted those resources. Upon implementation of state fire mobilization, the host district resources shall become state fire mobilization resources consistent with the fire mobilization plan.

It is the intent of the legislature that mutual aid and other interlocal agreements providing for enhanced emergency response be encouraged as essential to the public peace, safety, health, and welfare, and for the protection of the lives and property of the people of the state of Washington. If possible, mutual aid agreements should be without stated limitations as to resources available, time, or area. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed or interpreted to limit the eligibility of any nonhost fire protection authority for reimbursement of expenses incurred in providing all risk resources for mobilization provided that the mobilization must meet the requirements identified in the Washington state fire service mobilization plan.

Intent—2015 c 181: See note following RCW 43.43.965.

Effective date—1995 c 391: See note following RCW 38.52.005.

Findings—1992 c 117: See note following RCW 35.21.775.