Article 200. Township Emergency Vehicles And Equipment  



 
    (60 ILCS 1/Art. 200 heading)
ARTICLE 200. TOWNSHIP EMERGENCY
VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT

    (60 ILCS 1/200-5)
    Sec. 200-5. Acquisition of emergency vehicles and equipment. Any township having a population of less than 100,000 may acquire by purchase or by other means fire protection, rescue, and emergency vehicles and equipment.
(Source: P.A. 78-483; 88-62.)

    (60 ILCS 1/200-10)
    Sec. 200-10. Tax. For the purposes of this Article, any township having a population of less than 100,000 may levy annually a tax extendable at rate of not more than 0.02% of the assessed valuation of all taxable property in the township as equalized for State and county purposes for the current year to provide revenue for the purpose of fire protection, rescue, and emergency vehicles and equipment. This tax shall be in addition to all other taxes authorized by law to be levied and collected in the township and shall be in addition to the amount authorized to be levied for general purposes.
(Source: P.A. 78-483; 88-62.)

    (60 ILCS 1/200-12)
    Sec. 200-12. Tax increase; referendum.
    (a) A township with a population of less than 100,000 may levy taxes at a rate in excess of 0.02% of the value of all taxable property within the township as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue if the increase is approved by the voters as provided in this Section. The township board may, by ordinance, place the question of whether the tax rate of the township should be increased from 0.02% to 0.125% for fire protection, rescue, and emergency vehicles and equipment on the ballot at any election. The township board shall certify the question to the proper election officials, who shall submit the question at an election in accordance with the general election law. The question shall be in the following form.
        Shall the maximum allowable tax rate for the (name of

    
township) Township, be increased from 0.02% to 0.125% of the value of all taxable property within the township as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue for fire protection, rescue, and emergency vehicles and equipment?
    The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".
    The result of the referendum shall be entered upon the records of the township. If a majority of the voters at the election vote in favor of the proposition, the township may levy taxes annually at a tax extendable rate not to exceed 0.125% of the value of all taxable property within the township as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue.
    A referendum held under this Section shall be conducted in accordance with the Election Code.
    (b) The township board may levy the taxes at a rate in excess of 0.125% but not in excess of 0.40% of the value of all taxable property within the township as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue. The tax may not be levied until the question of levying the tax has been submitted to the electors of the township at a regular election and approved by a majority of the electors voting on the question. The township board shall certify the question to the proper election officials, who shall submit the question at an election in accordance with the general election law. The proposition shall be in substantially the following form:
        Shall the maximum allowable tax rate for the (insert
    
name of township) township fire department be increased from 0.125% to 0.40% of the value of all taxable property within the township as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue?
    The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".
    The results of the referendum shall be entered upon the records of the township. If a majority of the electors voting on the question vote in the affirmative, the township board may thereafter levy the tax.
(Source: P.A. 92-522, eff. 2-8-02.)

    (60 ILCS 1/200-13)
    Sec. 200-13. Board authority. The township board of any township operating a fire department has the power and it is its legal duty and obligation to provide as nearly adequate protection from fire for all persons and property within the township as possible and to prescribe necessary regulations for the prevention and control of fire within the township. The township board may provide and maintain life saving and rescue equipment, services, and facilities, including emergency ambulance service. Except in cities having a population of 500,000 or more inhabitants and except in municipalities in which fire prevention codes have been adopted, the township board has the express power to adopt and enforce fire prevention codes and standards parallel to national standards.
(Source: P.A. 92-522, eff. 2-8-02.)

    (60 ILCS 1/200-14)
    Sec. 200-14. Fire department regulations and rules. A township providing fire protection services on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly shall be held to the standard of Sections 16.01 through 17 of the Fire Protection District Act, substituting "township" where "fire protection district" is indicated.
(Source: P.A. 92-522, eff. 2-8-02.)

    (60 ILCS 1/200-14a)
    Sec. 200-14a. Reimbursement for specialized rescue services. A township that provides fire protection services may fix, charge, and collect reasonable fees for specialized rescue services provided by the township. The total amount collected may not exceed the reasonable cost of providing those specialized rescue services and may not, in any event, exceed $125 per hour per vehicle and $35 per hour per firefighter. The fee may be charged to any of the following parties, but only after there has been a finding of fault against that party by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the Illinois Department of Labor:
        (a) the owner of the property on which the

    
specialized rescue services occurred;
        (b) any person involved in an activity that caused or
    
contributed to the emergency;
        (c) an individual who is rescued during the emergency
    
and his or her employer if the person was acting in furtherance of the employer's interests;
        (d) in cases involving the recovery of property, any
    
person having control or custody of the property at the time of the emergency.
    For the purposes of this Section, the term "specialized rescue services" includes, but is not limited to, structural collapse, tactical rescue, high angle rescue, underwater rescue and recovery, confined space rescue, below grade rescue, and trench rescue.
(Source: P.A. 95-497, eff. 1-1-08; 95-876, eff. 8-21-08.)

    (60 ILCS 1/200-14b)
    Sec. 200-14b. Technical rescue services. A township that provides fire protection services may fix, charge, and collect reasonable fees for technical rescue services provided by the township. The total amount collected may not exceed the reasonable cost of providing the technical rescue services and may include charges for personnel and equipment costs.
(Source: P.A. 95-867, eff. 1-1-09.)

    (60 ILCS 1/200-15)
    Sec. 200-15. Petition; referendum.
    (a) Upon the petition of 50 or more legal voters of a township being filed with the township clerk requesting that the proposition for the acquisition of fire protection, rescue, and emergency vehicles and equipment be submitted to a vote of the people of the township, the proposition shall be certified to the proper election officials, who shall submit the proposition to the voters at an election in accordance with the general election law.
    (b) The proposition shall be clearly indicated on the ballot and submitted to the voters of the township in substantially the following form:
        Shall (name of township) levy a tax at a rate of not

    
more than 0.02% of the assessed valuation of all taxable property in the township for fire protection, rescue, and emergency vehicles and equipment?
The votes shall be recorded as "Yes" or "No".
    (c) If a majority of the votes cast upon the proposition are in favor of the proposition, the township supervisor, township clerk, or treasurer shall within 3 months after the election acquire by purchase or otherwise fire protection, rescue, and emergency vehicles and equipment. Revenue obtained from the levy may also be used to pay personnel to operate fire protection, rescue, and emergency vehicles and related equipment. Provision for the payment for the vehicles and equipment shall be made by proper taxing and financial officers in the same manner as for other township expenditures.
(Source: P.A. 86-327; 88-62.)