Chapter 8.05
FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION

Sections:

8.05.010    Fire protection contract authorized.

8.05.020    Notice to agency of time, place of planned burning.

8.05.030    Posting of notices during fire hazard emergency.

8.05.040    Costs of fire services.

8.05.010 Fire protection contract authorized.

Wis. Stats. Section 60.55 states that “the town board shall provide for fire protection for the town.” To comply with this law, the town board of supervisors shall negotiate and enter into a fire protection contract for the town with the most appropriate fire protection organization available to serve the town. [Code 2002 § 26-1.]

8.05.020 Notice to agency of time, place of planned burning.

Any person planning to do any burning in the town shall notify the agency providing fire protection to the town of the place and time of such burning prior to the burning. The person shall start fires only as permitted under local, county, state or federal regulations and rules in effect at the time of the burning. [Code 2002 § 26-2.]

8.05.030 Posting of notices during fire hazard emergency.

The town clerk shall post or cause to be posted in five or more public places in each township in the town notices prepared by the Department of Natural Resources, forbidding the setting of fires upon any land in the town, until written permission is received from the town chairman or from one of the other fire wardens of the town. The notices shall be posted at any time the town chairman shall declare a dangerous fire hazard emergency exists. The town chairman shall declare that such a fire hazard emergency exists by issuing a proclamation in writing, which proclamation shall be published once in the Whitewater Register of Whitewater, Wisconsin. [Code 2002 § 26-3.]

8.05.040 Costs of fire services.

(a) When the agency providing fire protection under contract to the town is called to provide service to a property owner in the town, the cost of that service shall be charged to that property owner as provided in Wis. Stats. Section 60.55(2)(b).

(b) Title costs of fire calls as outlined in subsection (a) of this section shall be billed by the town clerk to the property owner and paid to the town treasurer within 60 days of the date of the bill. The failure to pay the bill within 60 days will result in interest being charged at the rate of one percent per month from the date of the bill. Those bills remaining outstanding, including interest, for more than 90 days as of November 1st of any year, shall become a lien against the real estate from which fire protection was provided and shall be placed on the tax roll as a delinquent special charge pursuant to Wis. Stats. Section 66.0703(1)(a). [Code 2002 § 26-4.]