(A) Appointment. The Chief of the Fire Department shall be appointed by the Mayor by and with the consent of the City Council to serve for such time as is provided by law.
(B) Powers and duties.
(1) The Chief of the Fire Department shall have supervision, command and control of the Fire Department and of all the officers and members and of all fire apparatus and equipment belonging to the city.
(2) The Chief shall be responsible for the efficient performance and operation of the Fire Department in all of its functions, and all of its officers and members shall serve subject to the Chief’s orders.
(3) The Chief shall prescribe and establish from time to time such rules and regulations concerning the organization, training and discipline of the Fire Department, its officers, and members as the Chief may deem to be in the best interests of the Fire Department subject to the review of the Fire Committee of the City Council and approval by the City Council. Such rules and regulations are not to be inconsistent to or in conflict with the rules of the Civil Service Commission.
(4) In case of fire, the Chief of the Fire Department, or in the Chief’s absence, the officer of the highest rank at the fire, shall take command of the Fire Department and direct the management thereof Fire and Police Departments for the suppression of the fire in the best manner possible; and when it may be necessary for the protection of other property and to prevent the spread of such fire or to extinguish the same, the officer in command may cause buildings to be removed, torn down or destroyed in the best manner possible.
(5) It shall be the Chief’s duty to investigate or cause to be investigated the origin, cause and circumstances of every fire occurring within the city, by which property has been destroyed or damaged and especially to ascertain whether such fire was the result of carelessness or design. For this purpose the Chief or the Chief’s designated officer shall have the power to enter upon the premises wherein a fire shall have occurred. The Chief shall notify the State Fire Marshal in every case of suspected arson forthwith and shall within seven days from the occurrence of a fire make a report of the same on forms for such purpose provided by the State Fire Marshal’s office to such office.
(6) The Chief of the Fire Department shall keep in separate books provided for that purpose:
(a) A true and complete inventory and record of all apparatus and equipment belonging to the Fire Department and transactions concerning the same;
(b) A roster of the officers and volunteer firefighters and a daily duty or assignment record;
(c) A complete list of all fires attended to and investigated by the Fire Department, the owner of the premises, the date and location of the fire, the estimated loss and insurance coverage; and
(d) Complete reports by commanding officers concerning fires and investigations, ambulance calls, false alarms and daily duty reports.
(7) The Chief shall report or cause to be reported to the City Council at least monthly at a regular meeting thereof the number of fires, ambulance calls, out of city calls and false alarms attended by the Fire Department for the previous month and on such other functions the Chief deems advisable. The Chief of the Fire Department shall as soon after the close of the fiscal year as practicable, make a written report to the City Council showing the condition of the Fire Department under the Chief’s management and a summary of the information required to be kept by records and reports. The report shall be subscribed by the Chief and filed with the City Clerk in triplicate, copies of which shall be transmitted to the Mayor and the Chairperson of the Fire Committee.
(8) The Chief of the Fire Department, or any other officer in command of a fire, may prescribe limits within which no person except those who reside thereon, Fire Department members, police officers or other authorized persons may be permitted to go.
(9) On the expiration of the Chief’s term of office or resignation or removal therefrom, the Chief of the Fire Department shall upon demand deliver to the Chief’s successor in office all records, reports, books, apparatus and equipment, and property of every description in the Chief’s control and custody belonging to the city appertaining to such office.
(10) The Chief of the Fire Department shall have such other and further duties as have been or may be granted under the statutes of the state or the ordinances of the city, now in force or hereinafter amended.
(Prior Code, §§ 33.005) (Ord. 88-144, passed 10-25-1988)