GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

S	1 

SENATE BILL 499

Short Title:  Arson Disincentives.	(Public)
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senator Johnson of Wake.
─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Insurance.
─────────────────────────────────────── 

March 20, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE COMPLETION OF FIRE REPORTS BY FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND THE FILING OF FIRE REPORTS WITH INSURANCE CLAIMS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  Article 1 of Chapter 69 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 69-7.2. Fire incident reports.
	(a)	Whenever a fire department responds to a fire, the chief of that department shall complete or cause to be completed a fire incident report which shall be in a form prescribed by the Department of Insurance.
	(b)	The fire department shall forward a copy of the completed form to the fire marshal of the county in which the fire occurred.  If there is no fire marshal in that county, the fire department shall forward a copy of the report to the county manager.  The fire department shall retain the original of the report.  The fire department and the county official to whom reports are sent shall retain the reports for a period of five years.
	(c)	At the request of any person required by G.S. 58-179 to file a copy of the report in making a claim against a fire insurance policy, the county fire marshal or county manager shall provide that person, for a reasonable copying charge, a certified copy of the report."
Sec. 2.  Article 19 of Chapter 58 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 58-179. Fire incident reports.
	(a)	Every person who files a claim under any fire insurance policy for a fire loss occurring in this State shall include, in the proof of loss, a certified copy of a fire report that was completed by the responding fire department in accordance with G.S. 69-7.2.
	(b)	The person shall be entitled to obtain a certified copy of the report from the fire marshal or county manager of the county in which the loss occurred, for a reasonable copying charge, in accordance with G.S. 69-7.2."
Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective September 1, 1989.