The Interstate Forest Fire Suppression Compact as set forth in this section is hereby enacted into law and entered into on behalf of this state with any and all other states legally joining therein in a form substantially as follows:
(a) "Sending state" means a state party to this compact from which a fire suppression unit is traveling.
(b) "Receiving state" means a state party to this compact to which a fire suppression unit is traveling.
(c) "Inmate" means a male or female offender who is under sentence to or confined in a prison or other correctional institution.
(d) "Institution" means any prison, reformatory, honor camp, or other correctional facility, except facilities for persons suffering from mental illness or persons with disabilities, in which inmates may lawfully be confined.
(e) "Fire suppression unit" means a group of inmates selected by the sending states, corrections personnel, and any other persons deemed necessary for the transportation, supervision, care, security, and discipline of inmates to be used in forest fire suppression efforts in the receiving state.
(f) "Forest fire" means any fire burning in any land designated by a party state or federal land management agencies as forestland.
The terms and provisions of this compact shall be part of any contract entered into by the authority of, or pursuant to, this compact. Nothing in any such contract may be inconsistent with this compact.
(b) Whenever the duly constituted judicial or administrative authorities in a state party to this compact that has entered into a contract pursuant to this compact decides that the assistance of a fire suppression unit of a party state is required for forest fire suppression efforts, such authorities may request the assistance of one or more fire suppression units of any state party to this compact through an appointed liaison.
(c) Inmates who are members of a fire suppression unit shall at all times be subject to the jurisdiction of the sending state, and at all times shall be under the ultimate custody of corrections officers duly accredited by the sending state.
(d) The receiving state shall make adequate arrangements for the confinement of inmates who are members of a fire suppression unit of a sending state in the event corrections officers duly accredited by the sending state make a discretionary determination that an inmate requires institutional confinement.
(e) Cooperative efforts shall be made by corrections officers and personnel of the receiving state located at a fire camp with the corrections officers and other personnel of the sending state in the establishment and maintenance of fire suppression unit base camps.
(f) All inmates who are members of a fire suppression unit of a sending state shall be cared for and treated equally with such similar inmates of the receiving state.
(g) Further, in emergent situations a sending state shall be granted authority and all the protections of this compact to cross state lines with an inmate when, due to weather or road conditions, it is necessary to facilitate the transport of an inmate.
(b) An inmate member of a fire suppression unit of the sending state who is deemed to have escaped by a duly accredited corrections officer of a sending state shall be under the jurisdiction of both the sending state and the receiving state. Nothing contained in this compact shall be construed to prevent or affect the activities of officers and guards of any jurisdiction directed toward the apprehension and return of an escapee.