<br><br>67.323 Fire department merit system -- Creation -- Scope -- Board -- Definitions -- <br>Applicability. <br>(1) Any county may, by order of its fiscal court, duly made and entered of record, create <br>a county fire department merit system, and for that purpose establish a county fire <br>department merit board, whose duties it shall be to classify and examine applicants <br>seeking employment as firefighters or employees of the fire department of the said <br>county, and, in addition, to promulgate rules and regulations governing the <br>classification, qualification, examination, appointment, promotion, demotion, fine, <br>suspension and other disciplinary action within the said county fire department of <br>all personnel of the county fire department or departments affected as provided in <br>this section and KRS 67.325 and 78.425, and, in addition thereto, to hold such <br>hearings, public and executive, and impose such penalties upon the personnel <br>affected as provided in this section, KRS 67.325 and 78.425. <br>(2) Fiscal courts affected hereby shall make appropriations of money for the reasonable <br>and necessary expenses of the said board. <br>(3) KRS 78.410 to 78.460 and 78.990 shall be followed in the establishing of a county <br>fire department merit system as provided in this section. All terms referring to the <br>county police force, by context or definition, shall be taken to mean county fire <br>department. Other terms mean: <br>(a) "Board" means the county fire department merit board created by subsection <br>(1). <br>(b) "Chief" means the chief of the county fire department affected by this section, <br>KRS 67.325 and 78.425. <br>(c) "Assistant chief" means the next in command to the chief of the county fire <br>department affected by this section, KRS 67.325 and 78.425. <br>(d) "Secretary" means the executive secretary and examiner employed by the <br>county fire department merit board created by this section, KRS 67.325 and <br>78.425. <br>(e) "Officer" means any member of the county fire department affected by this <br>section, KRS 67.325 and 78.425. <br>(f) "Employee" means all other employees of the county fire department affected <br>by this section, KRS 67.325 and 78.425. <br>(4) This section applies to counties containing a city of the second class which have not <br>established county police merit systems as provided by KRS 78.400 to 78.460 and <br>78.990. <br>Effective: June 17, 1978 <br>History: Amended 1978 Ky. Acts ch. 164, sec. 5, effective June 17, 1978. -- Created <br>1966 Ky. Acts ch. 148, sec. 1. <br><br>