The compensation of district and deputy fire wardens, trained firefighters organized in accordance with rules issued by the State Forest Fire Warden and such laborers as said warden finds it necessary to employ shall be fixed by said warden on an hourly basis, subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Administrative Services. Volunteer fire companies may be compensated in accordance with section 23-36. The chief of the fire department in any town, city or borough who receives a regular salary shall be paid no additional compensation when acting as a fire warden. District fire wardens shall prepare their bills for services rendered by them and by the personnel and automobiles and other apparatus employed or used by them in extinguishing fires. The chief of any volunteer fire company may prepare bills for services rendered by said company and by the personnel and automobiles and other apparatus employed or used by them in extinguishing forest fires, if said company is allowed by town ordinance to receive payment for such bills. Such bills shall be on a form prescribed by the State Forest Warden and shall be submitted to the State Forest Fire Warden within one month after the services have been rendered, and, if found correct and approved by said warden, shall be ordered paid by the State Comptroller. A copy of each bill so paid on account of any fire within a city, as provided in section 23-36, shall be sent by the State Forest Fire Warden to the city treasurer of the city in which the fire occurred, except bills for which a railroad company is liable under the provisions of section 23-42, and, on or before the tenth day of December in each year, such city treasurer shall draw the treasurer's order in favor of the State Treasurer for the full amount of such bills submitted during the twelve months next preceding. The State Forest Fire Warden may forgive such bills if the state would incur administrative costs in collecting the debt owed that would exceed the actual debt owed. Bills for expenses incurred or services rendered by district or deputy wardens in the performance of duties other than fire fighting shall be submitted to the State Forest Fire Warden on or before the tenth day of December and the tenth day of June in each year. Upon approval by the State Forest Fire Warden, such bills shall be ordered paid by the State Comptroller from any sums available for the expenses of the State Forest Fire Warden. All fire warden bills authorized by sections 23-37, 23-38, 23-40 to 23-42, inclusive, and this section shall show in detail the amount and character of the services performed, the exact duration thereof and all disbursements made by such wardens.

(1949 Rev., S. 3479; 1949, 1951, S. 1879d; 1959, P.A. 152, S. 53; February, 1965, P.A. 57; P.A. 77-614, S. 66, 610; P.A. 01-150, S. 10.)

History: 1959 act deleted provisions requiring that copies of bills be sent to county commissioners, except bills for which railroad companies are liable, and requiring that county treasurers pay half of the amount of such bills for the preceding 12 months to state treasurer on or before December tenth annually; 1965 act required that city treasurers pay full amount of bills for preceding 12 months rather than half the amount; P.A. 77-614 replaced personnel commissioner, presumably the successor of the personnel “director” mentioned in the section, with commissioner of administrative services; P.A. 01-150 authorized payments to volunteer fire companies in accordance with Sec. 23-36, authorized the chief of any volunteer fire company to prepare and submit bills to the State Forest Fire Warden and authorized the State Forest Fire Warden to forgive certain bills and made certain technical changes including changes for purposes of gender neutrality.

Cited. 127 C. 57.