Alaska Statutes 18.70.075 – Authority of fire department officers; penalty

(a) A fire officer of a municipal fire department or a fire department registered with the state fire marshal, while providing fire protection or other emergency services, has the authority to

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Terms Used In Alaska Statutes 18.70.075

Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
municipality: means a political subdivision incorporated under the laws of the state that is a home rule or general law city, a home rule or general law borough, or a unified municipality. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
person: includes a corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, organization, business trust, or society, as well as a natural person. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
property: includes real and personal property. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060
state: means the State of Alaska unless applied to the different parts of the United States and in the latter case it includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Alaska Statutes 01.10.060

(1) control and direct activities at the scene of a fire or emergency;

(2) order a person to leave a building or place in the vicinity of a fire or emergency, for the purpose of protecting the person from injury;

(3) blockade a public highway, street, or private right-of-way temporarily while at the scene of a fire or emergency;

(4) trespass upon property at or near the scene of a fire or emergency at any time of the day or night;

(5) enter a building, including a private dwelling, or premises where a fire is in progress, or where there is reasonable cause to believe a fire is in progress, to extinguish the fire;

(6) enter a building, including a private dwelling, or premises near the scene of a fire for the purpose of protecting the building or premises or for the purpose of extinguishing the fire that is in progress in another building or premises;

(7) upon 24-hour notice to the owner or occupant, conduct a prefire planning survey in all buildings, structures, or other places within the municipality or the registered fire department’s district, except the interior of a private dwelling, where combustible material is or may become dangerous as a fire menace to the building;

(8) direct the removal or destruction of a fence, house, motor vehicle, or other thing judged necessary to prevent the further spread of a fire.

(b) An owner or occupant of a building or place specified in this section or any other person on the site of a fire or other fire department emergency who refuses to obey the order of a fire officer of a municipal or registered fire department in the exercise of official duties is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, is punishable by imprisonment for one year, or by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both.

(c) In this section,

(1) “emergency” means a situation in which the services of fire department personnel are necessary or appropriate to protect life, property, or public health;

(2) “prefire planning survey” means a limited inspection for the purpose of preparing a fire attack plan in the event of a future emergency.

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