Montgomery County                           2771

The treasurers, upon authorization by their departments or squads,
shall pay all proper costs, expenses, claims, and demands necessary
for the maintenance, equipment and operation of their fire depart-
ments and squads, and shall report such expenditures to the County.

3.    Treasurer's Bond. Each fire department and rescue squad
shall provide a corporate bond to Montgomery County to be approved
by the Director of Finance and the County Attorney of the County in
a penal sum to be fixed by them, conditioned upon faithful discharge
of the duties of the treasurer. A corporate blanket bond covering one
or more departments, squads, and treasurers may be approved.

4.    Purchasing. Under the direction of the Fire Board, each
fire department and rescue squad shall establish a fiscal policy and
purchasing system for the expenditure of all tax monies received
from the County, which policy and system shall conform to Sections
84-11 through 84-23 of this Code as now in existence, or as amended
under the provisions of Section 314, Montgomery County Charter.

5.    Audit. The Fire Board shall engage a certified public ac-
countant or a recognized public accounting firm annually to audit all
tax funds received by the departments and squads. Each annual audit
shall be submitted to the Fire Board for further submission to the
County. The audit shall be available for the public hearings on the
budgets.

6.    Applicability. The provisions of subsection d. shall not
apply to the City of Takoma Park, Maryland.

e. ¹ Personnel.

The Chairman of the Fire Board shall appoint a personnel com-
mittee of seven members, including a chairman. The committee shall
include at least two paid firemen who shall not be members of the
Fire Board. The appointments shall be subject to Board approval.

1. Personnel System for Paid Employees of Fire Depart-
ments and Rescue Squads.

(a) The personnel committee shall prepare and adopt,
subject to the approval of the Fire Board, personnel regulations
generally consistent with county merit system personnel regulations,

¹ Former subsection (e) which read:

"(e) Fire Tax Districts Study.

As soon as possible after the establishment of the fire board as provided here-
under, the board shall select with the cooperation and assistance of the council a
qualified, independent consultant firm to make a study under the direction of
the board on the financing of the fire and rescue service operations of the county.
Such study shall be completed and reported to the council within six months from
the effective date of this Act (August 18, 1969)." has been deleted because the
study to which it refers has been made and the provision is no longer required.