Section 4476.

Any contract which is entered into pursuant to this article shall do all of the following:

(a) Vest in the director the final authority to determine the time during which wild land fuel and structural fire hazards may be burned to minimize the risk of escape of a fire set in a prescribed burning operation and to facilitate maintenance of air quality.

(b) Clearly state the obligation of each party to the contract to provide, maintain, and repair equipment and indicate the number of each type of equipment to be provided and the duration of its availability.

(c) Designate an officer of the department as the fire boss with final authority to approve and amend the plan and formula applicable to a prescribed burning operation, to determine that the site has been prepared and the crew and equipment are ready to commence the operation, and to supervise the work assignments of departmental employees and all personnel furnished by the person contracting with the department until the prescribed burning is completed and all fire is declared to be out.

(d) Specify the duties of, and the precautions taken by, the person contracting with the department and any personnel furnished by that person.

(e) Provide that any personnel furnished by a person contracting with the department to assist in any aspect of site preparation or prescribed burning or other hazardous fuel reduction shall be an agent of that person for all purposes of workers' compensation. However, any volunteer recruited or used by the department to suppress a wild land fire originating or spreading from a prescribed burning operation is an employee of the department for all purposes of workers' compensation.

(f) Specify the value assigned to the materials, services, or equipment furnished by the person contracting with the department in lieu of payment of all or part of that person's share of the actual costs.

(g) Specify the total costs of the prescribed burning operation or other hazardous fuel reduction and the pro rata share thereof for each party to the contract. Any person contracting with the department shall, prior to the commencement of any work by the department, place on deposit in an interest-bearing escrow or trust account with a California-licensed financial institution an amount equal to that person's pro rata share of the costs, less the value of materials, services, or equipment specified pursuant to subdivision (e). Interest earned on the account shall accrue to the depositor and may be separately disbursed from the principal amount upon request of the depositor. Disbursement of funds on deposit in the trust or escrow account shall be authorized by the depositor within 15 days after completion, to the depositor's satisfaction, of all work specified in the contract to be done by the department.

(h) Provide that the department may, in its discretion, purchase a third-party liability policy of insurance that provides coverage against loss resulting from a wild land fire sustained by any person or public agency, including the federal government. The amount of the policy, if purchased, shall be determined by the director. The policy shall name the person contracting with the department and the department as joint policyholders. The premium shall be included as a cost prorated as provided in subdivision (g). A certificate of insurance, if purchased, covering each policy shall be attached to or become a part of the contract. If the department elects not to purchase insurance, the department shall agree to indemnify and hold harmless the person or public agency contracting with the department with respect to liability arising out of performance of the contract.

(Amended by Stats. 2005, Ch. 278, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2006.)