(A) Qualifications generally. No person shall be made a member of any city Fire Company unless he or she is able-bodied, is at least 18 years of age and is first approved for membership by the Common Council. Any person between the ages of 18 years and 21 years shall not be allowed nor permitted to operate or drive any Fire Department truck or Fire Department vehicle until he or she attains the age of 21 years.
(B) Elections. After a person has made an application for membership into the Fire Department, a committee made up of the Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief and seven regular Fire Department members elected by the regular membership of the department and a representative of the Board of Works, by election, either accept or reject such proposed member. Election meetings shall require the attendance of the majority of its members and the vote of the majority of those so attending shall be required for the acceptance or rejection of such application. If the proposed member is accepted by the committee, in such an election, then the secretary shall report in writing to the Common Council at its next regular session, the name, age, occupation and date of election of such proposed member.
(C) Maximum age. No member shall remain as an active member after attaining the age of 65.
(D) Insubordination. Any firefighter who shall fail to attend any fire without a reasonable excuse, disobey or refuse to obey the orders of the superior officer, leave while a fire is in progress or before the order authorizing departure is given, without first obtaining the permission of the officer in command, be found drunk or in the state of intoxication while on duty either during the time of the fire or before the Company shall have been dismissed by the officer in command or be guilty of any action of insubordination shall be subject to expulsion from the Fire Department. The violation of any one of the items herein specified or any combination thereof shall constitute grounds for expulsion. The Chief, Deputy Fire Chief or any other officer or member in command at any time of any violations, or for any other good cause, shall suspend such violating member forthwith. Failure to do so shall constitute grounds for such officer's dismissal by the majority vote of all the elected members of the Common Council or their successors. Such officer in command at the time of the violation shall report such suspension in writing to the Common Council and to the violating member at least 24 hours before the next regular session of the Common Council. Such report shall state in a concise manner the cause or causes of such suspension and the reason therefor. Such suspended member, if he or she so desires, may appear before the Common Council in order to defend himself or herself. If no action is taken by the Common Council at such regular meeting in way of confirmation of such suspension, then such member shall be reinstated; provided however, that the Common Council may remove any member of any company for good cause by majority vote of their full membership. However, any such member shall be entitled to a 24-hour notice of the proposed removal. Although not limited to the following or the foregoing acts or failures to act, the violation of any of the bylaws or rules of the company to which a person is a member shall constitute a good cause for suspension or removal.
(E) Calling for help from outside city. No person or members of the Fire Department, other than the Fire Chief, or in his or her absence, the officer in command, shall have the authority to call out-of-city companies to a fire, or to order the removal of any equipment from a fire.
(F) Qualification as truck driver. Before any member can drive any particular truck he or she must be qualified to drive that particular truck. Only the Fire Chief can sign such qualifications and designate which truck or trucks said member is qualified to drive.
(G) Attendance. All members shall be required to attend eight training and six business sessions each year from January to December. Any member not attending eight training sessions will be demoted to a probationary member. Any probationary member not attending eight sessions shall be expelled from the department. Any member or probationary member missing a session can contact a department officer within four days to arrange a makeup session in lieu of a regular session.
('74 Code, § 5-12) (Ord. 554, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 64-8, passed - -64; Am. Ord. 68-2, passed - -68; Am. Ord. 86- , passed 8-25-86; Am. Ord. 2000-9, passed 12-13-00; Am. Ord. 2010-005, passed 11-18-10)