Incident Reporting
The State Fire Marshal's Office manages the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) for Montana.  All departments (paid, private, and volunteer) are required to file a report after every incident they are paged too.  To understand more about this reporting system, please visit the NFIRS website.


Volunteer Firefighters Compensation Act
The MPERA
Each year, the chief or presiding officer of a fire company must file an annual certificate of membership and fire company eligibility with the MPERA. The certificate is a turnaround document prepared by the MPERA and mailed in June to all eligible fire companies on file. Each fire company’s chief or presiding officer must complete and verify the birth date, Social Security Number, entry date, and training received for each member on the certificate. Only members that received at least 30 hours of training and served for the entire fiscal year are eligible for credit. (§ 19-17-108, MCA)

The original certificate must be notarized and returned to the MPERA between July 1 and September 1. Certificates will be kept on file at the MPERA to verify a member’s service and eligibility for benefits. Fire companies are required to maintain all training documentation and properly manage records. This ensures that all members receive credit for their service. The annual certificate must supply the following information:

a. The chief’s or presiding officer’s signature, which confirms:

         1. A formal training program was available and all listed members completed at least 30 hours of training. (§ 7-33-2312 and § 19-17-402, MCA)
 
          2. Listed members served with the company during the entire fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). (§§ 19-17-108 and 19-17-402, MCA) 

          3. Equipment maintained and buildings owned, rented or used by the company were maintained in usable condition and valued at $12,000 or more. (§ 19-17-108, MCA)

b. The date the fire company was organized. (§ 7-33-2311, MCA)

c. Full name, Social Security Number, birth date, and service entry date for each member completing 30 hours of training.  (List only those members who served with the company for the entire fiscal year and completed 30 hours of training.)
(§ 19-17-402, MCA)

For more information, please visit the MPERA website.

MCA Codes Concerning Fire Departments
http://mpera.mt.gov/vfca.asp (burn permits)
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/mca/7/33/7-33-2001.htm (Fire Chief duties)
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/mca/7/33/7-33-2205.htm (fire season)