1594

LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 444

AN ACT concerning

Fire Companies and Rescue Squads — Agreements with
Federal Government

FOR the purpose of deleting the requirement that permitting
agreements for mutual aid between fire companies or

rescue squads and the federal government must--provide

under certain circumstances; providing for a the
waiver, indemification, and reimbursement of certain
claims; and clarifying language and stipulating that
Workmen's Compensation be the primary remedy for
certain injuries.

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,

Article 38A - Fires and Investigations

Section 38

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1971 Replacement Volume and 1977 Supplement)

WHEREAS, Section 37 of Article 38A (title "Fires and

Investigations") of the Annotated Code of Maryland provides

that fire companies and rescue squads of Maryland may enter

into mutual aid agreements with other jurisdications to

extinguish fires and save lives, provided that the

agreements contain provisions that (1) "waive any and all

claims against the other parties thereto which may arise out

of their activities outside their respective jurisdictions

under such agreement" and (2) "indemnify and save harmless

the other parties to such agreement from all claims by third

parties for property damage or personal injury which may
arise out of the activities of the other --parties to such

agreement outside their respective jurisdictions under such

agreement"; and

WHEREAS, Section 38 of Article 38A provides that these

mutual aid agreements may be made between Maryland fire

companies and rescue squads and the federal government; and

WHEREAS, Federal regulations recently proposed provide

for procedures for reimbursement for the costs of

firefighting on federal property; and

WHEREAS, An amendment to Section 38 of Article 38A is

necessary, in light of the proposed regulations, to enable a

fire company or rescue squad which has entered into a mutual

aid agreement with the federal government to submit a claim

for the recovery of the costs of firefighting; and

WHEREAS, In order to accomplish the objective of the

preceding paragraph, it is the intent of this Act to provide
that mutual aid agreements between fire companies and rescue

squads and the federal government need only to contain a

Preamble