1584                             LAWS OF MARYLAND                       [CH. 717

(d)    Distribution. The [board] Board of Fire and Rescue Com-
missioners shall review the financing of the fire departments and
rescue squads in Charles County including the Charles County Rescue
Squad and make appropriate [biennial] recommendations with
respect thereto. Distribution of funds, constituting the proceeds of
the fire tax, shall be [made on the basis of the area served by each
department, the number of calls answered by the department and
any similar standards that may be suggested by the Board of Fire
and Rescue Commissioners; provided, however, that no volunteer
fire department shall receive less than one thousand dollars
($1,000.00) per year.] to the various fire departments in accord-
ance with a formula agreed upon by the Board of Fire and Rescue
Commissioners and the Executive Committee of the Charles County
Volunteer Firemen's Association, providing, however, that if such
agreement cannot be reached the formula employed in the previous
year's distribution shall continue in use until such agreement is
reached.

(e)    Use; condition. The funds received by the respective Fire
Departments from this Fire Tax shall be used for the purpose of
purchasing, repairing, replacing, operating and maintaining their
fire fighting equipment and apparatus and the housing of the same
[.] and for fire prevention, training and or the establishment of
training facilities when it is deemed necessary AND TRAINING.
The amount and type of equipment and apparatus of said Fire De-
partments shall conform to the standards prescribed by the Charles
County Volunteer Firemen's Association [; and no]. No resolution,
regulation or by-law shall be passed by said Fire Departments limiting
or restricting the territory within the area covered by this Fire Tax
within which it will respond to emergency calls.

(f)    Other payments: In addition to the Fire Tax benefits, the
County Commissioners of Charles County are authorized and directed
to pay out of the general funds of the County on July 1st of each year,
$6,000.00 to each of the various Fire Departments in Charles County.
This sum is to be used by the various Fire Departments for the pur-
poses outlined in 117 (e). The Board of Fire and Rescue Commis-
sioners shall consider these payments in determining the amounts
due the various fire departments under the formula distribution plan
and in determining whether excess proceeds exist.

118A 118. Excess Proceeds.

Excess proceeds, herein defined as proceeds from the fire tax in
excess of those necessary to satisfy the requirements of the preced-
ing subsections, shall, upon recommendation of the Board of Fire
and Rescue Commissioners be used by the County Commissioners to
reduce the indebtedness of the various fire departments, to assist<