[Amended by Ch. 85 of the 1987 Acts of the General Assembly;
by the Board of County Commissioners 7-28-2009 by Ord. No. 09-09]
A.
COMMISSION
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
As
used in this article, the following words have the meanings indicated:
The Queen Anne's County Fire and EMS Commission.
The County Commissioners of Queen Anne's County.
One of the nine independent volunteer fire companies providing
fire suppression, prevention, and/or emergency medical services in
Queen Anne's County.
[Amended 6-11-2013 by Ord. No. 13-13]
[Amended 6-11-2013 by Ord. No. 13-13]
There shall be a Fire and EMS Commission in Queen Anne's
County. The Commission shall consist of the duly elected Fire Chief
and the duly elected EMS Director or Captain of each Volunteer Fire
Department in the County. Each Volunteer Fire Department shall have
one vote on the Commission.
A.
Membership.
The Commission shall consist of representatives from:
(1)
Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
(2)
Grasonville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
(3)
Queenstown Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
(4)
Goodwill Fire Company, Inc. (Centreville).
(5)
Church Hill Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.
(6)
Sudlersville Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.
(7)
Crumpton Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
(8)
Queen Anne-Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.
(9)
United Communities Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
B.
General
powers and duties. The Commission shall:
(1)
Coordinate the activities of the Volunteer Fire Departments within
Queen Anne's County.
(2)
Advise the County Commissioners on matters regarding the provision
of fire suppression, fire prevention, rescue and volunteer emergency
medical service ("EMS") activities within Queen Anne's County.
(3)
Develop, implement and enforce Countywide procedures, policies, standards,
standard operating guidelines, protocols, and personnel education
and training requirements for Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Departments.
(4)
Submit to the County an annual budget for the Commission and the
Volunteer Fire Departments within the County.
(5)
Require the Volunteer Fire Departments to provide such reports as
may be required by the Fire and EMS Commission or the County Commissioners,
including inventories and financial audits.
(6)
Perform inspections of Volunteer Fire Departments and equipment.
(7)
Recommend to the County Commissioners the withholding of future funding
to Volunteer Fire Departments who fail to comply with policies, procedures,
or standards established by the Commission.
(8)
Adopt bylaws and other rules and regulations for the conduct of its
business.
(9)
The Commission's powers and duties with respect to volunteer
emergency medical services hereunder shall be advisory in nature and
shall be undertaken in conjunction with the Department of Emergency
Services subject to established federal, state and local regulatory
authority.
A.
No new volunteer fire department or ambulance department may be organized
in the County without the approval of the Commission and the County
Commissioners of Queen Anne's County.
A.
Queen
Anne's County shall provide in each annual budget, sums of money
necessary to assist with the funding of the Volunteer Fire Departments
and such programs for fire suppression and prevention, rescue, emergency
medical services, training and any other emergency related services
as the County Commissioners may deem appropriate.
[Amended 6-11-2013 by Ord. No. 13-13]
B.
Budget
submissions shall be consistent with the Queen Anne's County
Finance Office's policies and guidelines.
A.
The County shall by resolution establish and fund a length of service
awards program for qualified active volunteer members of the Queen
Anne's County Volunteer Fire Departments.
[Amended 6-11-2013 by Ord. No. 13-13]
B.
The program shall be administered by the Commission. Payment shall
be made directly to the volunteer entitled to such benefits.
A.
State
funds allocated to Queen Anne's County through the William Amoss
Fire Rescue and Ambulance Fund will be distributed quarterly by the
Finance Office to the County's fire and ambulance departments
as follows:
[Amended 6-11-2013 by Ord. No. 13-13]
(1)
Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.: 12%.
(2)
Grasonville Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.: 12%.
(3)
Queenstown Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.: 12%.
(4)
Goodwill Fire Company, Inc. (Centreville): 12%.
(5)
Church Hill Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.: 12%.
(6)
Sudlersville Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.: 12%.
(7)
Crumpton Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.: 12%.
(8)
United Communities Volunteer Fire Dept., Inc.: 12%.
(9)
Queen Anne-Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Co., Inc.: 4%.
B.
The
County may withhold or delay the distribution of funds hereunder to
any department which has not complied with the requirements of the
Public Safety Article, Annotated Code of Maryland, Title 8, Subtitle
1.
