Sec. 344.151. FINANCING DISTRICT PROGRAMS

(a) The district may finance all costs of a fire control, prevention, and emergency medical services district program, including costs for personnel, administration, expansion, enhancement, and capital expenditures.

(b) The program may include:

(1) fire apparatus and equipment;

(2) a bomb disposal unit and related equipment;

(3) compensation of fire protection and prevention personnel for specialized training regarding:

(A) arson;

(B) bomb disposal;

(C) hazardous materials;

(D) technical rescue;

(E) paramedic certification; and

(F) any other specialized training under the program;

(4) funding for turn-out gear, self-contained breathing apparatus, and protective uniforms or other firefighter safety equipment;

(5) additional compensation for municipal fire-fighting personnel, including overtime compensation for unforeseen staffing needs; and

(6) funding for the construction and maintenance of fire stations, training facilities, or the equipment needed for those stations or facilities.

(c) The program may include an enhanced emergency communications center or other emergency communications programs and equipment, including:

(1) emergency medical dispatch training;

(2) additional fire and emergency medical service dispatchers;

(3) uniformed fire deployment and communications officers;

(4) real-time weather information; and

(5) computer databases and systems maintenance personnel for hazardous materials responses.

(d) The program may include a public training program, including:

(1) a juvenile fire starter program;

(2) an urban survival program, including school programs for fire safety, gun safety, and safety with strangers;

(3) a fire prevention program;

(4) a fire education program;

(5) a hazardous materials education program;

(6) a psychological intervention program; and

(7) a citizen's ride-along program or home inspection program.

(e) The program may include public preventive health programs, including:

(1) juvenile inoculations;

(2) weekend health days;

(3) first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training;

(4) injury prevention; and

(5) drug and alcohol awareness.

(f) The program may include response training programs, equipment, facilities, and instructors, including:

(1) a regional training center for fire, rescue, hazardous materials, and emergency medical services;

(2) staff personnel to support the center;

(3) equipment and apparatus to support the center;

(4) computer-aided continuing education training conducted in-station; and

(5) training regarding hazardous material storage and response.

(g) The program may include computers and other systems to support information management systems to:

(1) maintain occupancy information;

(2) track incident analyses;

(3) track incident reports;

(4) track internal communications and reporting;

(5) maintain inventory; and

(6) serve other information management needs.

(h) The program may include capital items needed to improve emergency response and increase service efficiency, including equipment, apparatus, vehicles, and training material or equipment.

Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1295, Sec. 1, eff. June 1, 2001.