How will the new laws affect travel by fire district commissioners and volunteer firefighters?
Fire district commissioners, other fire district officers, fire district employees, and the chief and assistant chief of a fire district can continue to attend conferences at fire district expense, but a recent amendment requires that conference travel must be for official business, using a “cost-effective and reasonable method of travel.” Conference travel still requires the prior approval of the board of fire commissioners. The new laws also limit the mileage allowance that a fire district may provide to its officers and employees, paid employees, and all paid and volunteer officers of the fire district, for the use of a personal automobile in the performance of official duties. In determining the amount of the mileage allowance, the board of fire commissioners may consider the cost of gasoline, but in no event may the mileage allowance exceed the standard mileage allowance for business-related travel adopted or prescribed for federal income tax purposes. Volunteer firefighters of a
