Substitute House Bill No. 5455
Public Act No. 19-37
AN ACT CONCERNING QU ALIFIED FOREST FIRE FIGHTERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 23-37 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019):
(a) State forest fire control personnel and district and deputy fire
wardens shall, under the supervision of the State Forest Fire Warden,
use all necessary means to prevent and extinguish forest fires.
(b) Such state forest fire control personnel shall assist the fire chief
or the fire officer-in-charge in the control and direction of all persons
and apparatus while engaged in extinguishing forest fires in their
respective districts, or in other districts under the instructions of the
State Forest Fire Warden.
(c) Such state forest fire control personnel and fire wardens may
destroy fences, plow land or, in an emergency, close roads, with or
without detours, and set backfires to hasten the control of any fire.
[(d) Such state forest fire control personnel may summon any
resident of the state between the ages of eighteen and fifty years to
assist in extinguishing fires, and may also require the use of
equipment, motor vehicles and other property needed for such Substitute House Bill No. 5455
Public Act No. 19-37 2 of 6
purposes. Any person so summoned, who is physically able, who
refuses or neglects to assist or to allow the use of equipment, motor
vehicles or other material or property, or wilfully interferes with or
hinders any warden or other person having authority under this
section, shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars.]
(d) If the state forest fire warden determines that additional state
forest fire control personnel are required to assist in extinguishing a
forest fire in this state, the state forest fire warden may temporarily
supplement state forest fire control personnel with temporary
emergency workers who meet the training and qualification
requirements of the National Incident Management System: Wildland
Fire Qualification System Guide published by the National Wildfire
Coordinating Group, as amended from time to time. The Department
of Administrative Services shall assist the state fire warden in
developing appropriate classifications for such temporary emergency
workers.
(e) No action for trespass shall lie against any person crossing or
working upon lands of another to extinguish fire or for investigation
thereof.
Sec. 2. Subsection (f) of section 7-314a of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July
1, 2019):
(f) Any member of a volunteer fire company or department and any
[person summoned by the State Forest Fire Warden or by any state
forest fire personnel or district or deputy fire warden under the
supervision of the State Forest Fire Warden pursuant to] temporary
emergency worker utilized under subsection (d) of section 23-37, as
amended by this act, who performs fire duties under the direction of
[such] the State Forest Fire Warden, state forest fire personnel or
district or deputy fire warden under the supervision of the State Forest Substitute House Bill No. 5455
Public Act No. 19-37 3 of 6
Fire Warden pursuant to section 23-37, as amended by this act, shall be
construed to be an employee of the state for the purpose of receiving
compensation in accordance with the provisions of chapter 568 for
death, disability or injury incurred while performing such fire duties
under such direction.
Sec. 3. Section 23-40 of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019):
The State Forest Fire Warden may appoint patrol personnel, who
shall receive compensation for the time actually employed, and may
establish and equip fire lookout stations and furnish necessary
equipment for such patrol personnel. Any patrol personnel so
appointed for such purpose shall have authority [to summon
assistance as provided in section 23-37 and] to render bills for such
expenses as provided in section 23-39.
Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 51-164n of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July
1, 2019):
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, any
person who is alleged to have committed (1) a violation under the
provisions of section 1-9, 1-10, 1-11, 4b-13, 7-13, 7-14, 7-35, 7-41, 7-83, 7-
283, 7-325, 7-393, 8-12, 8-25, 8-27, 9-63, 9-322, 9-350, 10-193, 10-197, 10-
198, 10-230, 10-251, 10-254, 12-52, 12-170aa, 12-292, 12-314b or 12-326g,
subdivision (4) of section 12-408, subdivision (3), (5) or (6) of section
12-411, section 12-435c, 12-476a, 12-476b, 12-487, 13a-71, 13a-107, 13a-
113, 13a-114, 13a-115, 13a-117b, 13a-123, 13a-124, 13a-139, 13a-140, 13a-
143b, 13a-247 or 13a-253, subsection (f) of section 13b-42, section 13b-
90, 13b-221, 13b-292, 13b-336, 13b-337, 13b-338, 13b-410a, 13b-410b or
13b-410c, subsection (a), (b) or (c) of section 13b-412, section 13b-414,
subsection (d) of section 14-12, section 14-20a or 14-27a, subsection (e)
of section 14-34a, subsection (d) of section 14-35, section 14-43, 14-49, Substitute House Bill No. 5455
Public Act No. 19-37 4 of 6
14-50a or 14-58, subsection (b) of section 14-66, section 14-66a or 14-
67a, subsection (g) of section 14-80, subsection (f) of section 14-80h,
section 14-97a, 14-100b, 14-103a, 14-106a, 14-106c, 14-146, 14-152, 14-
153 or 14-163b, a first violation as specified in subsection (f) of section
14-164i, section 14-219 as specified in subsection (e) of said section,
subdivision (1) of section 14-223a, section 14-240, 14-250 or 14-253a,
subsection (a) of section 14-261a, section 14-262, 14-264, 14-267a, 14-
269, 14-270, 14-275a, 14-278 or 14-279, subsection (e) or (h) of section
14-283, section 14-291, 14-293b, 14-296aa, 14-300, 14-300d, 14-319, 14-
320, 14-321, 14-325a, 14-326, 14-330 or 14-332a, subdivision (1), (2) or (3)
of section 14-386a, section 15-25 or 15-33, subdivision (1) of section 15-
97, subsection (a) of section 15-115, section 16-44, 16-256e, 16a-15 or
16a-22, subsection (a) or (b) of section 16a-22h, section 17a-24, 17a-145,
17a-149, 17a-152, 17a-465, 17b-124, 17b-131, 17b-137, 19a-30, 19a-33,
19a-39 or 19a-87, subsection (b) of section 19a-87a, section 19a-91, 19a-
105, 19a-107, 19a-113, 19a-215, 19a-219, 19a-222, 19a-224, 19a-286, 19a-
287, 19a-297, 19a-301, 19a-309, 19a-335, 19a-336, 19a-338, 19a-339, 19a-
340, 19a-425, 19a-502, 20-7a, 20-14, 20-158, 20-231, 20-249, 20-257, 20-
265, 20-324e, 20-341l, 20-366, 20-597, 20-608, 20-610, 21-1, 21-38, 21-39,
21-43, 21-47, 21-48, 21-63 or 21-76a, subsection (c) of section 21a-2,
subdivision (1) of section 21a-19, section 21a-21, subdivision (1) of
subsection (b) of section 21a-25, section 21a-26 or 21a-30, subsection (a)
of section 21a-37, section 21a-46, 21a-61, 21a-63 or 21a-77, subsection
(b) of section 21a-79, section 21a-85 or 21a-154, subdivision (1) of
subsection (a) of section 21a-159, subsection (a) of section 21a-279a,
section 22-12b, 22-13, 22-14, 22-15, 22-16, 22-26g, 22-29, 22-34, 22-35, 22-
36, 22-38, 22-39, 22-39a, 22-39b, 22-39c, 22-39d, 22-39e, 22-49 or 22-54,
subsection (d) of section 22-84, section 22-89, 22-90, 22-98, 22-99, 22-
100, 22-111o, 22-167, 22-279, 22-280a, 22-318a, 22-320h, 22-324a, 22-326
or 22-342, subsection (b), (e) or (f) of section 22-344, section 22-359, 22-
366, 22-391, 22-413, 22-414, 22-415, 22a-66a or 22a-246, subsection (a) of
section 22a-250, subsection (e) of section 22a-256h, section 22a-363 or
22a-381d, subsections (c) and (d) of section 22a-381e, section 22a-449, Substitute House Bill No. 5455
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22a-461, [23-37,] 23-38, 23-46 or 23-61b, subsection (a) or subdivision (1)
of subsection (c) of section 23-65, section 25-37 or 25-40, subsection (a)
of section 25-43, section 25-43d, 25-135, 26-18, 26-19, 26-21, 26-31, 26-40,
26-40a, 26-42, 26-49, 26-54, 26-55, 26-56, 26-58 or 26-59, subdivision (1)
of subsection (d) of section 26-61, section 26-64, subdivision (1) of
section 26-76, section 26-79, 26-87, 26-89, 26-91, 26-94, 26-97, 26-98, 26-
104, 26-105, 26-107, 26-117, 26-128, 26-131, 26-132, 26-138 or 26-141,
subdivision (1) of section 26-186, section 26-207, 26-215, 26-217 or 26-
224a, subdivision (1) of section 26-226, section 26-227, 26-230, 26-232,
26-244, 26-257a, 26-260, 26-276, 26-284, 26-285, 26-286, 26-288, 26-294,
28-13, 29-6a, 29-25, 29-143o, 29-143z or 29-156a, subsection (b), (d), (e)
or (g) of section 29-161q, section 29-161y or 29-161z, subdivision (1) of
section 29-198, section 29-210, 29-243 or 29-277, subsection (c) of section
29-291c, section 29-316, 29-318, 29-381, 30-48a, 30-86a, 31-3, 31-10, 31-
11, 31-12, 31-13, 31-14, 31-15, 31-16, 31-18, 31-23, 31-24, 31-25, 31-32, 31-
36, 31-38, 31-40, 31-44, 31-47, 31-48, 31-51, 31-52, 31-52a or 31-54,
subsection (a) or (c) of section 31-69, section 31-70, 31-74, 31-75, 31-76,
31-76a, 31-89b or 31-134, subsection (i) of section 31-273, section 31-288,
subdivision (1) of section 35-20, section 36a-787, 42-230, 45a-283, 45a-
450, 45a-634 or 45a-658, subdivision (13) or (14) of section 46a-54,
section 46a-59, 46b-22, 46b-24, 46b-34, 47-34a, 47-47, 49-8a, 49-16, 53-
133, 53-199, 53-212a, 53-249a, 53-252, 53-264, 53-280, 53-302a, 53-303e,
53-311a, 53-321, 53-322, 53-323, 53-331 or 53-344, subsection (c) of
section 53-344b, or section 53-450, or (2) a violation under the
provisions of chapter 268, or (3) a violation of any regulation adopted
in accordance with the provisions of section 12-484, 12-487 or 13b-410,
or (4) a violation of any ordinance, regulation or bylaw of any town,
city or borough, except violations of building codes and the health
code, for which the penalty exceeds ninety dollars but does not exceed
two hundred fifty dollars, unless such town, city or borough has
established a payment and hearing procedure for such violation
pursuant to section 7-152c, shall follow the procedures set forth in this
section. Substitute House Bill No. 5455
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