LawCriminal Law
National Fire and Rescue Authority Law, 5772-2012
חוק הרשות הארצית לכבאות והצלה, תשע"ב-2012
Published: 2012-08-08Consolidated Hebrew text as of 2026-06-21 · Last amended 2026-03-31✓ Amendment status checked against the Knesset legislation record on 2026-09-29
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Unofficial English translation — for reference only. It may contain errors or omissions and cannot be relied on as a legal text. Only the Hebrew text published in Reshumot is legally binding.More
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The Hebrew text as published in Reshumot (ספר החוקים) and on the Knesset website is the sole authoritative and legally binding version. In any discrepancy, the Hebrew text prevails.
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Section D: Assistance Outside Israel
Assistance Outside Israel§
34.
(a)The Minister, with the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset, may prescribe provisions regarding the rendering of assistance in the field of fire and rescue outside Israel.
(b)The Commissioner may, at the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and with the approval of the Minister, direct the Fire and Rescue Authority to render assistance in the treatment of incidents outside Israel.
Assistance in the Areas of the Palestinian Council§
35.
(a)In this section —
"the Agreement" — the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, signed in Washington between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation on the 4th of Tishrei 5756 (28 September 1995), including its annexes and the documents accompanying it;
"the Council" — the Palestinian Council to be established in accordance with the Agreement, and until its establishment — the Palestinian Authority as defined in the Agreement;
"the areas of the Palestinian Council" — the areas included from time to time within the territorial jurisdiction of the Council under the Agreement, as well as all of the Gaza Strip area.
(b)The Minister, with the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset, may prescribe provisions regarding the rendering of assistance in the areas of the Palestinian Council at the request of the Council or a competent authority on its behalf, in the field of fire and rescue services.
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Contact Us →Section E: Allocation of Firefighters for Payment
Allocation of Firefighters for Payment§
36.
(a)In this Section, "authorised officer" — a senior fire and rescue officer appointed by the district commander for the purposes of this Section.
(b)Where a person has requested that the Fire and Rescue Authority allocate firefighters and equipment for an action or event on his behalf (in this Section — an action or event) for the purpose of protecting the public from the occurrence of a fire and rescue incident, the authorised officer may allocate firefighters and equipment for the action or event for payment, if he has found that by reason of the scope, nature or location of the action or event there is an apprehension of the occurrence of a fire and rescue incident, and that the following conditions are met:
(1)the action or event is of the type of actions or events that the Minister has prescribed as ones for which firefighters and equipment may be allocated for payment;
(2)the provisions of any law have been complied with in respect of the action or event, including where a licence, permit or approval is required for the action or event under any law and the authority competent to grant them has decided that the licence, permit or approval is conditional upon an examination by the authorised officer as to the need to allocate firefighters and equipment for firefighting or rescue.
(c)The authorised officer shall not allocate firefighters and equipment for payment except after being satisfied that the conditions referred to in subsection (b) have been met, and after finding that in view of the scope, nature and location of the action or event, there are grounds to allocate firefighters and equipment for payment, with regard, inter alia, to the following:
(1)the possibility of using other alternatives for the purpose of protecting the public from the occurrence of a fire and rescue incident at the action or event;
(2)the private or public characteristics of the action or event, including whether they are intended for a particular public or for profit-making purposes;
(3)the implications for the performance of the functions of the Fire and Rescue Authority and for firefighters, including implications regarding the ability of the Authority to treat other fire and rescue incidents and to prevent their occurrence.
(d)Where the authorised officer has decided that there are grounds to allocate firefighters and equipment for payment, he shall direct the number of firefighters and the scope of the equipment to be allocated for payment, in accordance with the criteria in the Authority's orders.
State Events and Demonstrations§
37.
Where the authorised officer has decided to allocate firefighters and equipment under section 36, no payment shall be required for the allocation for an event that is one of the following:
(1)a state event of national importance, as determined by a ministerial committee authorised by the Government for that purpose, and as shall be prescribed in fire and rescue orders;
(2)a gathering or procession as defined in section 83 of the Police Ordinance, as well as a protest vigil or demonstration on matters of a political or public nature, except for payment required for an additional allocation of firefighters and equipment for the purpose of protecting the public from the occurrence of a fire and rescue incident as a result of the organisers' intention to use means which, in the opinion of the authorised officer, constitute a real danger of the outbreak of fire.
Review and Appeal§
38.
(a)A person may apply to the district commander for a review of a decision of the authorised officer under section 36, within 30 days from the date of receipt of the decision on the allocation request, and the district commander may confirm, modify or cancel the decision of the authorised officer.
(b)A decision of a district commander on a request for review under subsection (a) may be appealed before an appeals committee established under subsection (c), within 30 days from the date of receipt of the decision on the review.
(c)The Minister shall appoint an appeals committee to hear appeals under subsection (b), and its members shall be:
(1)the Commissioner or his deputy, who shall be the chairperson;
(2)a State employee who is a jurist qualified to be a judge of a Magistrate's Court, to be appointed by the Minister of Justice;
(3)an employee of the Ministry of Public Security.
(d)The Minister, after consultation with the Minister of Justice, may prescribe the rules of procedure of the appeals committee.
(e)A decision on an appeal regarding the allocation of firefighters and equipment for an action or event, or regarding the number of firefighters or the scope of the equipment required for the purpose of protecting the public from the occurrence of a fire and rescue incident at an action or event, requires the consent of the chairperson of the committee.
(f)A decision of the appeals committee is subject to appeal before an Administrative Affairs Court.
Designation of Payments§
39.
The payments received in respect of the allocation of firefighters and equipment for payment under this Section shall be added to the budget of the Fire and Rescue Authority for the purpose of covering the expenses of the allocation of firefighters and equipment under this Section and in accordance with fire and rescue orders.
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Contact Us →Chapter V: Fire Safety
Section A: Taking of Measures
Responsibility for compliance with fire and rescue safety provisions§
40.
(a)The responsibility for compliance with provisions concerning fire and rescue safety (in this Law – fire and rescue safety provisions) applies to the owner of a property and to the possessor of a property (in this Chapter – the responsible party); for this purpose, a person engaged in the maintenance of common areas in a property shall be regarded as a possessor in respect of the common areas only.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), the Minister may prescribe that in respect of categories of properties or in respect of categories of fire and rescue safety measures, the responsibility for compliance with fire and rescue safety provisions is imposed on the owner alone, on the possessor alone, or on the person engaged in the maintenance of the common areas in the property alone, or on another party that the Minister has prescribed.
Duty of the responsible party§
41.
The responsible party is obliged to comply with every provision under any law concerning fire and rescue safety, by the time prescribed therefor, and to maintain fire and rescue safety measures in proper working order.
Regulations concerning the taking of fire and rescue safety measures§
42.
(a)For the purpose of preventing fires and their spread, extinguishing fires, reducing their damage and rescuing trapped persons, the Minister may, with the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset, prescribe provisions concerning the matters listed below and the party responsible for their implementation:
(1)fire and rescue safety arrangements in properties of various types, including the installation of fire and rescue safety measures in such properties, the determination of their quality, their maintenance and inspection of their proper working order, training in their use and the receipt of a safety certificate;
(2)the manner of keeping properties of various types, including in matters of order and cleanliness, pruning and removal of vegetation, the location of installations, storage, keeping evacuation routes clear and the maintenance of forests and groves, all in so far as it relates to fire and rescue safety;
(3)rules of conduct concerning fire and rescue safety;
(4)the obligation to employ a fire and rescue safety officer in businesses, institutions and organisations of various types, his functions and also requirements concerning the qualifications, training and authorisation of the officer; the provisions of this paragraph shall apply to bodies as aforesaid whose scope of activity warrants it, inter alia by reason of the level of risk arising from the nature of the body's activity, from the number of persons present at the place where it operates and from the area of the place;
(5)the obligation to conduct instruction and training activities in fire and rescue safety matters by instructors, in businesses, institutions and organisations of various types, and also requirements concerning the qualifications, training and authorisation of the instructors.
(6)the obligation to hold a certificate of compliance with an American standard or another international standard (in this Law – a foreign standard) as referred to in section 126g1.
(b)Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a)(2) –
(1)Regulations relating to an area specified below shall be prescribed after consultation with the Nature and Parks Authority and with the consent of the Minister for Environmental Protection:
(a)an area declared as a national park or as a nature reserve;
(b)an area approved in a plan as a national park or as a nature reserve;
(c)areas in which protected natural values are found, as defined in the National Parks Law;
(2)Regulations relating to forests and groves shall be prescribed after consultation with the body responsible for the management of the majority of afforestation areas in Israel, with the Minister for Environmental Protection and with the consent of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development;
(3)Regulations concerning open areas in which a local authority holds rights shall be prescribed with the consent of the Minister of the Interior.
Special Order§
43.
(a)The Commissioner may order in writing that measures be taken in the matter of fire and rescue safety as he shall direct (in this Law – a Special Order), if he has found that there is a significant concern that a fire and rescue incident will occur or that public safety will be endangered as a result of the occurrence of such an incident.
(b)The Commissioner shall not issue a Special Order unless a professional opinion in writing has been presented to him, and unless he has given the party concerned an opportunity to express his position in the matter.
(c)In a Special Order the Commissioner shall specify the person who is required to take the measures listed in the Order, and he may prescribe that the measures listed therein are to be taken without delay or within a period of time that he shall prescribe, and if a period of time has been prescribed in this regard in the Authority's provisions – within a period of time that shall not exceed the period of time prescribed in the Authority's provisions.
(d)In exercising his power under this section, the Commissioner shall have regard, inter alia, to the need to maintain an adequate level of fire safety in the property and to avoid imposing an excessive burden on the person responsible for carrying out the actions.
(e)Where a Special Order has been issued in respect of a business requiring a licence under the Business Licensing Law, and it has the effect of departing from one of the following, the provisions of section 7 of that Law shall apply, with the necessary modifications:
(1)the conditions of the licence;
(2)the conditions of the uniform specification prescribed under section 7c1(a) of that Law.
(f)In this section, "measures" – any one of those listed in section 42(a)(1) to (5).
Petition for cancellation of an Order§
43a.
(a)A person who considers himself aggrieved by an Order issued under section 43a may submit to an Administrative Affairs Court a petition for its cancellation.
(b)The submission of a petition for the cancellation of an Order, under the provisions of subsection (a), does not suspend the validity of the Order, for as long as the Administrative Affairs Court has not decided otherwise; if the court has decided to suspend the validity of the Order ex parte, the petition shall be heard inter partes as soon as possible, and no later than the expiry of seven days from the date of the decision.
Rules concerning forests and groves§
44.
(a)The Commissioner may prescribe rules concerning fire safety in forests and groves, including in areas specified in subsection (b), including rules on the following matters:
(1)access routes for firefighting vehicles;
(2)installation and placement of detection and firefighting means in forests and groves, including fire hydrants and signage of water wells;
(3)separation measures within the area of the forest and grove required for the purpose of separating between blocks of forest and grove or between a forest or grove and adjacent structures.
(b)Rules as referred to in subsection (a) shall be prescribed after consultation with the body responsible for the management of the majority of afforestation areas in Israel, with an employee of the Ministry for Environmental Protection authorised for this purpose by the Minister for Environmental Protection, and with the consent of an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development authorised for this purpose by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; however –
(1)rules relating to an area specified below shall be prescribed after consultation with the Nature and Parks Authority and with the consent of an employee of the Ministry for Environmental Protection:
(a)an area declared as a national park or as a nature reserve;
(b)an area approved in a plan as a national park or as a nature reserve;
(c)areas in which protected natural values are found, as defined in the National Parks Law;
(2)rules concerning open areas in which a local authority holds rights shall be prescribed with the consent of an employee of the Ministry of the Interior authorised for this purpose by the Minister of the Interior;
(3)rules concerning detection and firefighting means in forests and groves held by the defence establishment shall be prescribed with the consent of an employee of the Ministry of Defence or the Prime Minister's Office authorised for this purpose by the Minister of Defence or the Prime Minister, as the case may be.
(c)For the purposes of this Law, the rules under this section shall be regarded as laws.
Approval of a forest and grove plan§
45.
(a)A person shall not carry out the planting of a new forest or grove (in this Law – planting) except in accordance with a planting plan for fire and rescue safety purposes (in this Law – a planting plan); the planting plan shall include particulars prescribed by the Commissioner.
(b)A person wishing to carry out planting shall submit a planting plan to the District Commander within whose area the forest or grove is situated.
(c)If the District Commander has found that the planting plan complies with the rules prescribed for this purpose under section 44, he shall approve the plan.
(d)Nothing in the provisions of this section derogates from any obligation under any law, including the obligation to obtain a licence, permit or approval.
(e)In this section, "District Commander" – including a fire and rescue officer authorised by the District Commander for the purposes of this section.
Provisions concerning the obligation to supply water§
46.
(a)Without derogating from the provisions of section 26, the Minister, with the consent of the Council of the Government Water and Sewage Authority, may prescribe provisions concerning the obligation to supply water required for the purpose of handling a fire and rescue incident.
(b)The Minister, after consultation with the Council of the Government Water and Sewage Authority, may prescribe provisions concerning the installation of pipelines and installations for the supply of water as required for the purpose of handling a fire and rescue incident and the restriction of their use for other purposes; provisions concerning the installation of pipelines in forests and groves shall be prescribed after consultation with the body responsible for the management of the majority of afforestation areas in Israel and with the approval of the National Security Committee of the Knesset.
(c)The Minister, after consultation with the Council of the Government Water and Sewage Authority, may prescribe provisions concerning the supply of water to fire hydrants, including in public places, in open areas, in forests and in groves, for the purpose of extinguishing fires; the provisions of section 42(b) shall apply to Regulations under this subsection.
(d)Regulations under subsections (b) and (c) shall not apply to a person who produces or supplies water under a licence under section 23 of the Water Law; however, the Council of the Government Water and Sewage Authority may, with the consent of the Minister, prescribe rules on these matters, at the request of the Minister or on its own initiative.
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