National Fire and Rescue Authority Law, 5772-2012

The purpose of this Law is to regulate the existence of fire and rescue services in the State, for the purpose of saving human life and property, enhancing fire safety, extinguishing fires and preventing fires.

In this Law –

"hazardous materials incident" – as defined in the Hazardous Materials Law, 5753-1993 (in this Law – the Hazardous Materials Law);

"fire and rescue incident" – a fire and any other dangerous situation dealt with by the Fire and Rescue Authority in accordance with its functions;

"fire and rescue safety means" – means installed in assets, permanently or temporarily, and intended, inter alia, for any of the following:

"administrative affairs court" – as defined in section 3 of the Administrative Affairs Courts Law, 5760-2000;

"owner of an asset", in relation to real property – a person registered in the real property registers as owner, or a person entitled to be so registered as owner and who lawfully holds the real property, as well as a long-term lessee; however, if the real property is Israel Lands in which a long-term lessee has a right therein or in respect thereof – the long-term lessee alone;

"fire and rescue directives" – directives issued by the Commissioner under section 10(a)(1);

"Authority directives" – fire and rescue directives and fire and rescue orders;

"economic impact", in relation to a professional guideline or the promulgation of Regulations – the cost of implementation to all parties required to carry out the guideline or the Regulations, as the case may be, exceeding NIS 30,000,000 in a given year;

"significant economic impact", in relation to a professional guideline – the cost of implementation to all parties required to carry out the guideline, exceeding NIS 70,000,000 in a given year;

"the Regulatory Advisory Committee" – the regulatory committee established under section 126a;

"National Parks Law" – National Parks, Nature Reserves, National Sites and Commemoration Sites Law, 5758-1998;

"Collective Agreements Law" – Collective Agreements Law, 5717-1957;

"Budget Foundations Law" – Budget Foundations Law, 5745-1985;

"Computers Law" – Computers Law, 5755-1995;

"Water Law" – Water Law, 5719-1959;

"Penal Law" – Penal Law, 5737-1977;

"Business Licensing Law" – Business Licensing Law, 5728-1968;

"State Service Law (Pensions)" – State Service Law (Pensions) [Consolidated Version], 5730-1970;

"State Service Law (Appointments)" – State Service Law (Appointments), 5719-1959;

"State Service Law (Discipline)" – State Service Law (Discipline), 5723-1963;

"Fire Services Law" – Fire Services Law, 5719-1959;

"Planning and Building Law" – Planning and Building Law, 5725-1965;

"the day of establishment of the Authority" – six months from the day of publication of this Law;

"firefighter" – as defined in section 13(a);

"Israel Water and Sewerage Authority Council" – the Government Authority Council established under section 124o of the Water Law;

"holder of an asset" – excluding a person whose right to hold the asset does not exceed a period of 30 days and excluding a person residing in a hotel;

"the defence establishment" – as defined in section 82;

"district commander" – a person appointed to be district commander in the Fire and Rescue Authority, or to discharge the functions of a district commander in the Fire and Rescue Authority;

"Israel Lands" – as defined in Basic Law: Israel Lands;

"person serving in civilian-security service" – a person serving in the Fire and Rescue Authority in civilian-security service as defined in the National Civilian Service Law, 5774-2014;

"volunteer" – a person appointed to be a volunteer under section 17(c) as an assistant in the Fire and Rescue Authority, whose volunteering has been approved in accordance with the provisions of this Law;

"volunteer in national service or community volunteering" – a person serving in the Fire and Rescue Authority in national service or community volunteering as defined in the Civil Service Law, 5777-2017;

"assets" – real property and public transport vehicles;

"the Commissioner" – the Fire and Rescue Commissioner, appointed under this Law;

"Authority employees" – firefighters and employees alike, unless otherwise stated;

"fire and rescue orders" – orders issued by the Commissioner under section 10(a)(2);

"Police Ordinance" – Police Ordinance [New Version], 5731-1971;

"fire and rescue officer" – as defined in section 13(b);

"senior fire and rescue officer" – a fire and rescue officer whose rank is Deputy Superintendent and above;

"the Authority", "the Fire and Rescue Authority" – the National Fire and Rescue Authority established by this Law;

"the Nature and National Parks Protection Authority" – as defined in the National Parks Law;

"Israel Land Authority" – as defined in the Israel Land Authority Law, 5720-1960;

"area approved in a plan as a national park or nature reserve" – an area in respect of which a plan as defined in the Planning and Building Law has been approved, designating it as a national park or nature reserve;

"area declared as a national park or nature reserve" – an area declared as a national park or nature reserve under section 22(a) of the National Parks Law;

"the Minister" – the Minister of Public Security.

A person is eligible to be appointed as Commissioner if all of the following conditions are fulfilled:

An action brought to contest the exercise of powers in relation to the appointment of the Commissioner, the termination of the Commissioner's office or the Commissioner's suspension shall not be regarded as an action arising from an employer-employee relationship for the purposes of section 24 of the Labour Court Law, 5729-1969.

Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, a firefighter, while in Israel, shall be regarded, for all purposes under this Law, as being available for duty, and may at any time be directed to report and fulfil duties anywhere in accordance with the Commissioner's directives.

The Decorations in the Israel Police and Prison Service Law, 5732-1972, shall also apply to firefighters and volunteers, with the following modifications: wherever that Law reads "the Inspector General" it shall read "the Commissioner"; wherever it reads "police officer" it shall read "firefighter" or "volunteer", as the case may be; wherever it reads "standing orders" it shall read "Authority directives"; and wherever it reads "the Police" it shall read "the National Fire and Rescue Authority"; however, for the purposes of section 11a of that Law, wherever it reads "police officer" it shall read "Authority employee".