Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1961 NO. 19 >

(1) A fire protection district authorized by the electors to issue general obligation bonds to finance replacement of equipment on a need basis may issue only a portion of the authorized bonds and delay the issuance of the remainder for a reasonable period of time until the need for replacement of additional equipment actually arises. (2) The general obligation bonds so authorized may be sold privately without a public offering at the discretion of the board of fire commissioners if it determines that such a private sale would be in the best interest of the district.

AGLO 1976 NO. 19 >

RCW 52.36.020, requiring contracts for fire protection services to other municipalities, is inapplicable to municipal property situated within an incorporated city or town even though such property is adjacent to a fire protection district.

AGO 1973 NO. 19 >

The provisions of chapter 64, Laws of 1973, Ex. Sess., which on and after July 1, 1974, will require certain municipal corporations holding property situated within or adjacent to a fire protection district to contract with such district for fire protection services, are applicable to school districts holding such property.

AGO 1975 NO. 21 >

(1) Within the unincorporated areas of a county which are served by a fire protection district, the uniform fire code, as adopted pursuant to chapter 19.27 RCW, requires the fire chief and the department of that district to perform each of the administrative and enforcement functions listed in § 1.201 thereof, together with such other functions as are required, under the heading of "Administration" in Division II of the code, to be performed by the "Fire Chief" or "Fire Department."  (2) A county, however, in the exercise of its authority under RCW 19.27.040 to amend the various component parts of the state building code in certain respects, may alter the manner in which the uniform fire code is administered within any or all of its unincorporated areas through the adoption of an amendment to that code designating some other official as the "Fire Chief" for the purpose of administering and enforcing its provisions.

AGO 1978 NO. 22 >

(1) The provisions of chapter 42.23 RCW are not violated by the appointment, by a board of fire commissioners, of the wife of one such commissioner to serve as secretary of the district.  (2) It is not a violation of RCW 52.12.010 for the wife of a fire protection district commissioner who has been appointed to serve as secretary of the district to be compensated for her services as such.

AGO 1961 NO. 23 >

1.   School districts have broad powers over curricula and instructional materials.  Pursuant to this authority, a school district may select and use educational television programming even though that programming contains advertising so long as the primary and predominant purpose of the program is educational and the advertising content is incidental.  2.   School districts have broad authority over the selection of instructional materials and the acquisition of school equipment and supplies.  Pursuant to this authority, a school district may select school materials, supplies and equipment that contain advertising.

AGO 1974 NO. 24 >


A fire protection district which has, by resolution, established a civil service program for its full-time paid firemen under RCW 52.36.060 may not later rescind that resolution and abolish such program in the absence of specific statutory authorization.

AGO 1961 NO. 43 >

A fire protection district which completely surrounds a fourth-class municipality which has by chapter 237, Laws of 1959, been withdrawn from the fire protection district may expend money for the purchase of buildings and real estate within such fourth-class municipality to be used for a fire station.

AGLO 1975 NO. 52 >

Extent of and basis for fees which may be charged by a fire protection district for ambulance services under House Bill No. 62 (chapter 147, Laws of 1975, 1st Ex. Sess).

AGLO 1975 NO. 69 >

Persons other than those nominated by the board of county commissioners under RCW 52.04.070 may be candidates for election to a board of fire protection district commissioners upon the initial formation of such a district.