7.81.010 Imposition of special tax for fire protection and emergency response and preparedness.
A. A special tax for the purpose of funding fire protection and emergency response and preparedness is hereby authorized to be imposed on all improvements in the City of Berkeley ("City") as more fully set forth in this Chapter.
B. The City Council may impose the tax authorized by this Chapter at the rates, and subject to the inflation adjustments, set forth in Section 7.81.020.
C. This special tax is imposed in compliance with Article 13 of the California Constitution, pursuant to Government Code Section 53978, and the City’s constitutional authority under Article 11 section 5 of the California Constitution, in its capacity as a charter city.
D. The proceeds of the tax imposed by this Chapter shall be placed in a special fund to be used for the purpose of enhancing emergency response and preparedness by funding the following:
1. Eliminating the rotating closure of operating fire stations by enhancing the City’s ability to pay costs needed to maintain full staffing;
2. Providing advanced life support ("ALS") personnel (paramedics) and equipment on all first responder vehicles and hiring a training officer to provide Emergency Medical Service ("EMS") training for first responders;
3. Providing funding to hire staff to conduct Community Emergency Response Training and other similar public disaster training and preparedness efforts, and for annual allocation for neighborhood emergency preparedness caches; and
4. Acquiring and maintaining equipment to enhance emergency preparedness, including equipment necessary to allow compatible radio communications throughout the City and with outside public safety agencies, and reserving tax proceeds as necessary to fund such acquisition.
E. Tax proceeds shall be allocated first to the estimated amount necessary to eliminate rotating closures of operating fire stations, provided that the Council may alter this priority allocation in the event it declares a fiscal emergency by a two-thirds vote. In such cases the Council may allocate the proceeds of this tax among the purposes set forth in subdivision (D) of this Section in its sole discretion.
F. For purposes of this Chapter, "first responder vehicle" shall mean any piece of fire department apparatus used to routinely respond to fire and/or medical emergencies. (Ord. 7067-NS § 1, 2008)