00                             SENATE BILL NO. 148                                                                         
01 "An Act relating to remote water storage for fire departments."                                                         
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1.  The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section                         
04 to read:                                                                                                                
05       FINDINGS.  The legislature finds that                                                                             
06            (1)  Alaska firefighters serve the Alaska people daily under adverse and                                     
07 sometimes extreme conditions;                                                                                           
08            (2)  Alaska firefighters are often hampered by a lack of sufficient water to fight                           
09 fires, as many areas of the state are not serviced by domestic water supplies that are sufficient                       
10 to meet fire protection needs;                                                                                          
11            (3)  many areas of the state are threatened by the potential for catastrophic                                
12 wildfires due to infested and infected timber;                                                                          
13            (4)  homes and businesses are threatened by these wildfires and by the threat of                             
14 structure fires not caused by wildfires; and                                                                            
15            (5)  by providing for the construction of remote water storage sites, the state                              
01 can                                                                                                                     
02                 (A)  save lives;                                                                                        
03                 (B)  reduce property loss; and                                                                          
04                 (C)  lower property insurance rates.                                                                    
05    * Sec. 2.  AS 18.70 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                    
06              Article 3A. Remote Water Storage for Fire Protection.                                                    
07            Sec. 18.70.400. Remote water storage sites.  (a)  The Department of Natural                                
08       Resources shall design a remote water storage site for fire protection and service use                            
09       in areas of the state that are not serviced by a domestic water supply sufficient for fire                        
10       protection or service.  Each remote water storage site must consist of an underground                             
11       storage tank capable of storing at least 10,000 gallons of water and a pump, hydrant,                             
12       and associated piping.                                                                                            
13            (b)  Annually, the department shall solicit applications from organized fire                                 
14       services for the construction of remote water storage sites for fire protection and                               
15       service use.  The department shall consider the applications and rank them based on                               
16       the following factors:                                                                                            
17                 (1)  distance from a domestic water supply adequate for fire service                                    
18       requirements;                                                                                                     
19                 (2)  number of homes and businesses to be protected or serviced by the                                  
20       remote water storage site;                                                                                        
21                 (3)  potential fire danger for the area to be protected or serviced,                                    
22       including the number of structure fires and wildfires annually occurring in the area and                          
23       special factors or threats such as infested or infected timber;                                                   
24                 (4)  the ability of the organized fire service to provide matching funds                                
25       for the construction of the site and the ability of the organized fire service to maintain                        
26       and operate the remote water storage site; and                                                                    
27                 (5)  other factors to be determined by the department.                                                  
28            (c)  Based on appropriations received for the purpose by the department, the                                 
29       department shall construct remote water storage sites based on the rankings.  The                                 
30       department may require the organized fire service to provide matching funds for the                               
31       construction of the site in an amount not to exceed 50 percent of the total construction                          
01       cost for the site.                                                                                                
02            (d)  Remote water storage sites may be used by any organized fire service or                                 
03       by the state or federal government when engaged in fire protection or service                                     
04       activities.  Remote water storage sites may not be used for a purpose other than fire                             
05       protection or fire service.