Sec. 17. (a) If a political subdivision has not imposed its own false alarm fee or service charge, a volunteer fire department that provides service within the jurisdiction may establish a service charge for responding to false alarms. The volunteer fire department may collect the false alarm service charge from the owner of the property if the volunteer fire department dispatches firefighting apparatus or personnel to a building or premises in the township in response to:

(1) an alarm caused by improper installation or improper maintenance; or

(2) a drill or test, if the fire department is not previously notified that the alarm is a drill or test.

However, if the owner of property that constitutes the owner’s residence establishes that the alarm is under a maintenance contract with an alarm company and that the alarm company has been notified of the improper installation or maintenance of the alarm, the alarm company is liable for the payment of the fee or service charge.

     (b) Before establishing a false alarm service charge, the volunteer fire department must provide notice under IC 5-3-1-4(d) in each political subdivision served by the department of the amount of the false alarm service charge. The notice required by this subsection must be given:

(1) before the false alarm service charge is initiated; and

(2) before a change in the amount of the false alarm service charge.

     (c) A volunteer fire department may not collect a false alarm service charge from a property owner or alarm company unless the department’s bill for payment of the service charge:

(1) is submitted to the property owner in writing within thirty (30) days after the false alarm; and

(2) includes a copy of a fire incident report in the form prescribed by the state fire marshal.

     (d) A volunteer fire department shall use the money collected from the false alarm service charge imposed under this section:

(1) for the purchase of equipment, buildings, and property for fire fighting, fire protection, or other emergency services;

(2) for deposit in the township firefighting and emergency services fund established under IC 36-8-13-4(a)(1) or the township firefighting fund established under IC 36-8-13-4(a)(2)(A); or

(3) to pay principal and interest on a loan made by the department of homeland security established by IC 10-19-2-1 or a division of the department for the purchase of new or used firefighting and other emergency equipment or apparatus.

     (e) If at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the money received by a volunteer fire department for providing fire protection or emergency services is received under one (1) or more contracts with one (1) or more political subdivisions (as defined in IC 34-6-2-110), the legislative body of a contracting political subdivision must approve the false alarm service charge established under subsection (a) before the service charge is initiated in that political subdivision.

     (f) A volunteer fire department that:

(1) has contracted with a political subdivision to provide fire protection or emergency services; and

(2) imposes a false alarm service charge under this section;

must submit a report to the legislative body of the political subdivision before April 1 of each year indicating the amount of false alarm charges collected during the previous calendar year and how those funds have been expended.

     (g) The volunteer fire department may maintain a civil action to recover unpaid false alarm service charges imposed under this section and may, if it prevails, recover all costs of the action, including reasonable attorney‘s fees.

As added by P.L.82-2001, SEC.2. Amended by P.L.107-2007, SEC.17; P.L.208-2011, SEC.3; P.L.236-2023, SEC.202.