In order to provide a means by which a county may raise monies to establish, maintain, and operate a fire protection system as provided by this chapter and to purchase the necessary fire-fighting equipment and to construct, acquire, and build the necessary fire stations and acquire sites for the stations, the governing body of any county is empowered to issue as a single issue, or from time to time as several separate issues, general obligation bonds of the county, without the necessity of holding an election, to such extent as, on the occasion of the issuance of any such bonds, is permitted by the constitutional debt limitation applicable to the county.