Fire Services Act, 1981

Functions of fire authorities.

10.—(1) A fire authority shall have the functions assigned to it by or under this Act.

(2) A fire authority shall—

(a) make provision for the prompt and efficient extinguishing of fires in buildings and other places of all kinds in its functional area and for the protection and rescue of persons and property from injury by fire, and

(b) establish and maintain a fire brigade, provide premises and make such other provision as it considers necessary or desirable for such purpose, and

(c) make adequate provision for the reception of and response to calls for the assistance of the fire brigade.

(3) A fire authority shall, in the exercise of its functions under subsection (2), have regard (in addition to all other relevant considerations) to the nature of the fire hazards and the probable incidence and extent of fires in its functional area, the character of the area and the value of the property liable to be damaged by fires.

(4) Fire authorities may make arrangements for the joint discharge of any of their functions.

(5) (a) A fire authority may, by agreement, provide services for or avail of the services of any body or person other than a fire authority.

(b) An agreement under section 2 (3) (b) of the Fire Brigades Act, 1940 , in force immediately before the commencement of this section and made by a sanitary authority which becomes a fire authority, shall continue in force and shall be deemed to be an agreement under this section.

(6) (a) Whenever it appears to the Minister that an agreement under section 59 of the Local Government Act, 1955 , ought to be made between fire authorities for the purpose of any of their functions he may, after affording an opportunity to the authorities concerned to make representations to him, require them to enter into an agreement.

(b) The Minister may direct that any such agreement shall contain such terms as he may specify and the authorities concerned shall comply with any direction given by the Minister.

(7) The making of agreements under this section shall be a reserved function.

(8) It shall be the duty of a fire authority which is a party to an agreement to which this section relates to furnish the Minister with a copy of the agreement.

(9) A fire authority may send a fire brigade to any place outside its functional area, whether in the functional area of another fire authority or not and where any such fire brigade is sent outside the functional area of any fire authority, the person who is for the time being in charge thereof shall have the powers available to the person in control at a fire or other emergency under section 28 .

(10) A fire authority shall, as soon as may be after the commencement of this section and as occasion requires, make a survey to examine the location and adequacy of water supplies for fire-fighting purposes, fire-fighting equipment and fire hydrants.