reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 48 § 57i (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 57i - Officers of Professional Organization; Leave Without Loss of Pay or Benefits

Section 57I. In any city, town or district which accepts the provisions of this section, elected officers of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, AFL–CIO–CLC, shall be granted leave, without loss of pay or benefits and without being required to make up lost time, if on duty, by the municipal employer for regularly scheduled work hours spent in the performance of their elected responsibilities in such organization.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 58 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 58 - Fire Chiefs; Tenure; Removal; Conditions

Section 58. In every town which accepted chapter two hundred and ninety-one of the General Acts of nineteen hundred and sixteen or chapter one hundred and forty of the General Acts of nineteen hundred and seventeen, or in which the provisions of chapter thirty-one were, on April third, nineteen hundred and seventeen, applicable to the chief of the fire department thereof, such chief shall hold his office continuously during good behavior unless incapacitated by physical or mental disability to perform the duties of his position; provided, that in every such city the official having the power of appointment, with the consent of the confirming board, if any, and in every such town, the selectmen, may, for just cause and for reasons specifically assigned by said official or selectmen, remove such chief, first giving him a copy of such reasons and allowing him a reasonable time to answer them in writing. A copy of the reasons, notice and answer, and of the order of removal, shall be filed with the town clerk.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 58a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 58a - Hours of Duty of Permanent Firemen; Application of Sections Relating to Hours of Duty

Section 58A. The hours of duty of the permanent members of the uniformed fire fighting force in every city in which this section is accepted by the mayor and by the city council and in every town in which it is accepted by vote of the town at an annual town meeting shall be so established by the fire commissioner, board of fire commissioners, chief engineer, board of engineers, or other officers having charge of fire fighting that the average weekly hours of duty in any year, other than hours during which such members may be summoned and kept on duty because of conflagrations, shall not exceed seventy in number; provided that any such city by ordinance and any such town by by-law may establish such weekly hours of duty at less than seventy. Sections fifty-six, fifty-seven and fifty-nine shall not apply to the permanent members of the uniformed fire fighting force in any such city or town.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 58b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 58b - Hours of Duty of Permanent Firemen; Limitations; Application of Other Sections Relating to Hours of Duty; Acceptance of Provision by Electorate

Section 58B. The hours of duty of the permanent members of the uniformed fire fighting force in every city and town in which this section is accepted as hereinafter provided shall be so established by the fire commissioner, board of fire commissioners, chief engineer, board of engineers, or other officers having charge of fire fighting that the average weekly hours of duty in any year, other than hours during which such members may be summoned and kept on duty because of conflagrations, shall not exceed forty-eight in number; provided that any such city by ordinance and any such town by by-law may establish such weekly hours of duty at less than forty-eight. Sections fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight A and fifty-nine shall not apply to the permanent members of the uniformed fire fighting force in any such city or town.  Upon petition of not less than ten per cent of the registered voters in any city or town, duly certified by the registrars of voters and filed with the state secretary not less than sixty days before a state election, or filed with a city or town clerk not less than sixty days before a municipal election, the state secretary, or the city or town clerk shall cause to be printed upon the official ballot to be used in such city or town at such state or municipal election the following question:—''Shall section fifty-eight B of chapter forty-eight of the General Laws, providing for a forty-eight hour week for permanent members of fire departments, be accepted?'' If a majority of the votes cast on said question in any city or town are in the affirmative, this section shall take effect in such city or town ninety days thereafter.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 58c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 58c - Overtime; Compensation

Section 58C. If an officer or member, other than the chief, of the fire fighting force of the fire department of a city, town or fire district shall be required to be on duty for any period in excess of his regular hours of duty as from time to time established, he may be given time off equal to such period of overtime duty or, if time off cannot be given by reason of a personnel shortage or other cause, he may be paid for such period of overtime duty at such an hourly rate as may be determined by the authority in charge of a fire department, which rate shall in no event be less than one and one half of the basic hourly rate of his regular compensation for his average weekly hours of regular duty.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 58d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 58d - Hours of Duty of Permanent Firemen; Application of Sections Relating to Hours of Duty; Acceptance of Provisions

Section 58D. The hours of duty of the permanent members of the uniformed fire fighting force in every city and town in which this section is accepted as hereinafter provided shall be so established by the fire commissioner, board of fire commissioners, chief engineer, board of engineers, or other officers having charge of fire fighting that the average weekly hours of duty in any year, other than hours during which such members may be summoned and kept on duty because of conflagrations, shall not exceed forty-two in number; provided, that any such city by ordinance and any such town by by-law may establish such weekly hours of duty at less than forty-two. Sections fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight A, fifty-eight B and fifty-nine shall not apply to the permanent members of the uniformed fire fighting force in any such city or town.  This section shall become effective in a city having a Plan D or Plan E charter when accepted by a majority of the members of the city council, and, in the case of other cities, by vote of the city council and the approval of the mayor, and in a town by a majority vote at the annual town meeting, or in any city or town in which the question of adopting this section is placed before the voters thereof, in the manner set forth in the following paragraph, and a majority of the voters voting at such election vote in the affirmative on such question.  Upon petition of not less than five per cent of the registered voters in any city or town, duly certified by the registrars of voters and filed with the state secretary not less than sixty days before a state election, or filed with a city or town clerk not less than sixty days before a municipal election, the state secretary, or the city or town clerk, as the case may be, shall cause to be printed upon the official ballot to be used in such city or town at such state or municipal election the following question:—''Shall section fifty-eight D of chapter forty-eight of the General Laws, providing for a forty-two hour work week for permanent members of fire departments, be accepted?'' If a majority of the votes cast on said question in any city or town are in the affirmative, this section shall take effect in such city or town ninety days thereafter.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 58e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 58e - Fire Fighters; Residence

Section 58E. In any city or town which accepts this section, applicants for positions in and members of the regular fire department of said city or town may reside outside said city or town; provided, they reside within the commonwealth and within ten miles of the limits of said city or town.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 59 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 59 - Platoon System; Submission to Electorate

Section 59. The permanent members of the uniformed fire fighting force in every town which accepts this section or has accepted corresponding provisions of earlier laws shall be divided by the fire commissioner, board of fire commissioners, chief engineer, board of engineers, or other officers having charge of the fire fighting force into two bodies or platoons, which shall be designated as a day force and a night force, and shall alternate on tours of duty every third day.  The hours of duty of the day force shall be from eight o'clock in the forenoon to six o'clock in the afternoon, and the hours of duty of the night force shall be from six o'clock in the afternoon to eight o'clock in the forenoon; provided, that on every third day, for the purpose of alternating the day force with the night force and vice versa, the number of hours of duty herein stated may be exceeded, but one force shall be at liberty at all times, except that in case of a conflagration the officer or board having charge of the fire fighting force shall have full authority to summon and keep on duty all members of the fire fighting force while the conflagration continues.  This section shall not affect any law, ordinance or by-law relative to salary, pensions, annual vacations or sick or disability leave of absence of the members of the fire fighting force in any town subject to this section. Sections fifty-six and fifty-seven shall not apply to the permanent members of the uniformed fire fighting force in any such town.  All ordinances or by-laws, or parts thereof, affecting the number that may be appointed as members of a fire fighting force, or the meal hours or days off of the members of the fire department of any such town, shall have no force after its acceptance becomes effective.  Upon petition of not less than ten per cent of the registered voters in any town, duly certified by the registrars of voters and filed with the town clerk not less than sixty days before any annual town meeting, the town clerk shall cause to be printed upon the official ballot used for the election of town officers at such annual town meeting the following question: ''Shall section fifty-nine of chapter forty-eight of the General Laws, providing for the division into day and night forces of permanent members of fire departments, known as the two platoon system, be accepted?'' If a majority of the votes cast on the said question in any town are in the affirmative, this section shall take effect in such town ninety days thereafter.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 59a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 59a - Aid to Other Municipalities; Authorization; Fire Departments Defined; Payment for Damages

Section 59A. Cities, towns and fire districts may, by ordinance or by-law, or by vote of the board of aldermen, selectmen or of the prudential committee or board exercising similar powers, authorize their respective fire departments to go to aid another city, town, fire district or area under federal jurisdiction in this commonwealth or in any adjoining state in extinguishing fires therein, or rendering any other emergency aid or performing any detail as ordered by the head of the fire department, or the Joint Base Cape Cod fire district and while in the performance of their duties in extending such aid the members of such departments shall have the same immunities and privileges as if performing the same within their respective cities, towns or districts. Any such ordinance, by-law or vote may authorize the head of the fire department to extend such aid, subject to such conditions and restrictions as may be prescribed therein. The words ''fire departments'' as used in this section shall mean lawfully organized fire fighting forces, however constituted.  During the course of rendering such aid to another municipality, the municipality rendering aid shall be responsible for the operation of its equipment and for any damage thereto, and, subject to the limitations of municipal liability, for personal injury sustained or caused by a member of its fire department, and for any payments which it is required to make to a member of said department or to his widow or other dependents on account of injuries or death, notwithstanding paragraph (b) of subdivision (4) of section seven of chapter thirty-two, unless such municipalities have a written agreement to the contrary.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 59b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 59b - Establishment of Reserve Force of Firemen; Conditions

Section 59B. Any city, except Boston, in which the city council, with the approval of the mayor, accepts this and the two following sections, may establish a reserve force of firemen in its fire department; and appointments thereto and removals therefrom shall, subject to chapter thirty-one, be made in the same manner as appointments to the regular or permanent force of the fire department of said city.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 59c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 59c - Membership

Section 59C. The number of members of such reserve force shall not exceed five in cities in which the number of members of the regular force does not exceed fifteen. If the number of members of the regular force exceeds fifteen, one member may be added to the reserve force for every three of the regular force above fifteen and not above thirty; one for every five of the regular force above thirty and not above eighty; and one for every ten of the regular force above eighty.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 59d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 59d - Duties; Compensation

Section 59D. The mayor, chief of the fire department or the officer or board having charge of the said department in a city wherein such reserve force is established may assign the members thereof to duty in the said department whenever and for such length of time as he or it may deem necessary. The compensation of the members of said reserve force shall be fixed by the city council. Except as provided in this and the two preceding sections, no provision of law applicable to the regular or permanent fire force of the fire department of a city shall apply to such reserve force or the members thereof except when assigned to duty as aforesaid.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 59e (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 59e - Appointments From Civil Service Eligible List

Section 59E. In any city which has accepted sections fifty-nine B to fifty-nine D, inclusive, and accepts this section, and in any city or town which has a reserve force of firemen under authority of special law and accepts this section, no person shall, after the date of acceptance of this section, be appointed to the reserve force of firemen thereof unless appointments to such force are subject to chapter thirty-one and the name of such person shall have been placed, on or before said date, on an eligible list established under said chapter and the rules made thereunder for such appointments.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 60 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 60 - Establishment of Fire Departments in Districts; Duties of Officers

Section 60. Fire departments may be established in districts containing not less than one thousand inhabitants, or not less than five hundred inhabitants in towns the population of which does not exceed two thousand; and the officers thereof shall have charge of and be responsible for the apparatus for the extinguishment of fire therein, in the same manner as firewards and enginemen of towns.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 61 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 61 - Establishment of District; Procedure

Section 61. Before a district is constituted and organized, a petition shall be presented to the town at a meeting, stating the limits of the proposed district, and requesting the town to raise taxes for the establishment and maintenance of a sufficient fire department for the reasonable protection of the inhabitants and property within said limits. If the town refuses or neglects so to do, the inhabitants of the proposed district may organize it and establish a fire department therein.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 62 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 62 - Organization; Notice of Meeting

Section 62. The selectmen, on written application of not less than seven freeholders, inhabitants of such proposed district, setting forth the limits thereof, and requiring them to notify a meeting of the voters thereof to consider the expediency of organizing such district and establishing a fire department, shall forthwith give such notice in the manner of notifying town meetings, requiring the voters to assemble at some suitable place within the district for said purpose, the substance of which shall be expressed in the notice. If the selectmen refuse or neglect to give notice of such meeting, a justice of the peace may do so.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 63 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 63 - Election of Clerk; Removals; Vacancies

Section 63. If at such meeting the voters determine to organize such district, they shall choose a clerk, who shall be sworn. He may be removed by the district, and in case of a vacancy another may be chosen; or in such case, or in case of his disability, the selectmen may appoint a temporary clerk, who shall be sworn and shall perform such duties until the vacancy is filled or the disability removed. Immediately upon the establishment of such a district, written notice thereof shall be sent by the clerk to the commissioner of revenue.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 64 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 64 - Establishment of Fire Department

Section 64. The district at such meeting may vote to establish a fire department, to consist of a chief engineer and as many assistant engineers, enginemen, hosemen and hook and ladder men as they may consider necessary, not exceeding seventy-five for each suction engine, thirty-five for each common engine, five for each one hundred and fifty feet of leading hose kept for use within the district, and not exceeding twenty-five hook and ladder men. Each of said officers and members shall be furnished with a certificate, signed by the chief engineer and clerk, declaring his station in the department.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 65 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 65 - Selection of Engineers

Section 65. The chief engineer and assistant engineers shall be chosen for terms not exceeding three years; provided, however, that the district, at any meeting held in accordance with section 66, may vote to authorize the prudential committee to appoint the chief engineer and assistant engineers on merit for an indefinite period of time. A chief engineer or assistant engineer may be removed for cause at any time after a hearing by such prudential committee. Fire districts may accept the provisions of section 42.
MA Gen L ch 48 § 66 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 48 - Fires, Fire Departments and Fire Districts|Section 66 - District Meetings; Time; Manner of Giving Notice; Selection of Moderator

Section 66. Every district meeting, except as otherwise provided by special law, shall be called in pursuance of a warrant under the hands of the prudential committee, notice of which shall be given seven days at least before such meeting. The warrant shall be directed to a constable of the town, or to some other person, who shall forthwith give notice of such meeting in the manner prescribed by the by-laws, or, if there are no by-laws, by a vote of the district, or by posting in two or more public places or advertising in a newspaper published in the town in which the district is located, if any, otherwise in a newspaper published in the county. The warrant for all district meetings shall state the time and place of holding the meeting and the subjects to be acted upon thereat. The prudential committee shall insert in the warrant for the annual meeting all subjects the insertion of which shall be requested of them in writing by ten or more registered voters of the town residing in the territory comprising the district and in the warrant for every special district meeting all subjects the insertion of which shall be requested of them in writing by fifty registered voters or by ten per cent of the total number of the registered voters of the town residing within the territory comprising the district. The prudential committee shall call a special district meeting upon request in writing of one hundred registered voters or of twenty per cent of the total number of registered voters of the town residing within the territory comprising the district, such meeting to be held not later than thirty days after the receipt of such request, and shall insert in the warrant therefor all subjects the insertion of which shall be requested by said petition. No action shall be valid unless the subject matter thereof is contained in the warrant. Two or more distinct district meetings for distinct purposes may be called by the same warrant.  At every meeting a moderator shall be chosen by ballot, unless the district has voted to elect a moderator for a term as provided by section fourteen of chapter thirty-nine. The moderator shall have the powers of the moderator of the town meeting.