A municipality or fire district may vote to authorize its fire department, by its chief or chief engineer, to enter into agreements with such other duly authorized fire departments, or any private and volunteer fire department, as seem appropriate to provide mutual aid fire protection on a systematic basis. A municipal fire department so authorized may join in the formation or operation or both of a district fire mutual aid system, which shall be a public municipal corporation, as provided under sections 2986 through 2992 of this title. (1967, No. 255 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Feb. 20, 1968.)