Chap. 361.—An ACT to provide how fire departments and fire companies may be
established in counties; to authorize the governing bodies of certain counties
or towns to enter into contracts with the governing bodies of certain other
counties or towns, concerning fire protection in such counties and towns; to
prescribe the limitations of liability when any fire department or fire company
is operating outside the limits of the county or town wherein it was established
or formed; to authorize the governing bodies of counties to provide for com-
pensation to firemen injured, or the families of firemen killed, and to appropri-
ate money for such purpose, and for other purposes in connection with the
maintenance and operation of such fire departments or companies; and to
repeal all acts and parts of acts in conflict with this act. [H B 142}

Approved March 28, 1946

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. Any county which operates fire fighting equipment as provided
for in section twenty-seven hundred forty-three of the Code of Virginia
as last amended, and any county which has elected to come under the pro-
visions of chapter one hundred twenty-one of the Code of Virginia as
amended may have, in addition to the powers conferred therein, power
to contract with towns in, adjacent to, or near such county for fire pro-
tection in the manner provided for in section thirty hundred thirty-three
of the Code of Virginia.

To contract for the services of firemen, whether as volunteer or for
hire, and pay therefor ;

To provide for the relief of any fireman injured while in the service
of the county, or any political subdivision with which it contracts or has
contracted for fire protection, in the manner prescribed for in chapter
thirty-eight of the Acts of the General Assembly of nineteen hundred
forty-two, approved February seventeen, nineteen hundred forty-two,
and in chapter three hundred eighty-four of the Acts of the General As-
sembly of nineteen hundred twenty-eight, approved March twenty-two,
nineteen hundred twenty-eight, whether such fireman be a member of a
fire company of the county in which the injury occurred or of a political
subdivision with which it contracts for fire protection.

The counties of Lancaster, Northumberland and Richmond may
contract with any volunteer fire fighting company or association in any
of such counties or towns therein for the fighting of fire in any county so
contracting or town therein; if any contract be entered into by any of such
counties the fire fighting company shall be deemed to be an instrumental-
ity of the contracting county and as such exempt from suit for damages
done incident to fighting fires therein; the contracting county may elect
to provide for the matters hereinbefore authorized.