How Is A Fire Department Defined In Statute?

http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/stats/69/011.html

69.011 Qualifying for state aid. 

    Subd. 4.    Qualification for state aid.  Any 
 municipality in this state having for more than one year an 
 organized fire department and officially established by the 
 governing body of the municipality or an independent nonprofit 
 fire fighting corporation created under the nonprofit 
 corporation act of this state and operating exclusively for fire 
 fighting purposes and providing retirement and relief benefits 
 to its members or having a separate subsidiary incorporated 
 firefighter's relief and pension association providing 
 retirement and relief benefits may qualify to receive state aid 
 if it meets the following minimum requirements or equivalent as 
 determined by the state fire marshal by July 1, 1972: 

    (a) ten paid or volunteer firefighters including a 
fire chief and assistant fire chief, and 

    (b) regular scheduled meetings and frequent drills 
 including instructions in fire fighting tactics and in the use, 
 care, and operation of all fire apparatus and equipment, and 

    (c) a motorized fire truck equipped with a motorized pump, 
 250 gallon or larger water tank, 300 feet of one inch or larger 
 fire hose in two lines with combination spray and straight 
 stream nozzles, five-gallon hand pumps--tank extinguisher or 
 equivalent, dry chemical extinguisher or equivalent, ladders, 
 extension ladders, pike poles, crow bars, axes, lanterns, fire 
 coats, helmets, boots, and 

    (d) apparatus suitably housed in a building of good 
 construction with facilities for care of hose and equipment, and 

    (e) a reliable and adequate method of receiving fire alarms 
 by telephone or with electric siren and suitable means of 
 sounding an alarm, and 

    (f) if response is to be provided outside the corporate 
 limits of the municipality wherein the fire department is 
 located, the municipality has another piece of motorized 
 apparatus to make the response, and 

    (g) other requirements the commissioner establishes by rule.

    Subd. 5.    Fire departments to be inspected by State Fire 
 Marshal.  It shall be the duty of the State Fire Marshal or 
 an appointed deputy or designated assistants to inspect, or 
 cause to be inspected, at the time other public buildings are 
 inspected, the fire department of any municipality or nonprofit 
 fire fighting corporations in this state; and, for that purpose, 
 the fire marshal or any of the fire marshal's deputies or 
 designated assistants shall have the right to enter or have 
 access thereto at any reasonable hour.  When upon inspection, it 
 is found that the fire department inspected does not conform to 
 the requirements of subdivision 4 the fire marshal shall make a 
 report of the fact and the commissioner shall disqualify the 
 municipality or nonprofit firefighting corporation from 
 participation in the state aid apportionment provided for in 
 this chapter and chapter 424.