Fire Services Act, 1981

Interpretation.

2.—(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

“building” means a building, structure or erection (whether permanent or temporary) of any kind or of any materials;

“fire authority” means a fire authority to which section 9 applies;

“fire brigade” means an organised body of persons trained and equipped for extinguishing fires occurring in buildings and other places and for rescuing persons and property from such fires, and includes the vehicles and equipment with which that body is provided;

“fire hydrant” includes any hydrant marker-plate, cover or box;

“fire safety” includes fire prevention and precautions against fire;

“flammable” includes combustible;

“functional area”, in relation to a fire authority, has the meaning assigned by section 9 (3);

“functions” includes powers and duties;

“the Minister” means the Minister for the Environment;

“owner” includes any person having any estate or interest in premises;

“person in control”, in relation to a fire or other emergency, has the meaning assigned by section 27 ;

“planning authority” has the meaning assigned by section 2 (2) of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963 ;

“potentially dangerous building” has the meaning assigned by section 19 ;

“prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Minister under this Act;

“reserved function” means—

(a) in the case of the council of a county or an elective body for the purposes of the County Management Acts, 1940 to 1972, a reserved function for the purposes of those Acts;

(b) in the case of the corporation of a county borough, a reserved function for the purposes of the Acts relating to the management of the county borough;

“sanitary authority” means a sanitary authority for the purposes of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Acts, 1878 to 1964.

(2) In this Act references to extinguishing a fire shall be construed as including the prevention of a fire from spreading.

(3) A reference in this Act to a section is to a section of this Act unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended.

(4) A reference in this Act to a subsection or paragraph is to the subsection or paragraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that reference to some other provision is intended.

(5) A reference in this Act to any enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended or adapted by any subsequent enactment.