(A) Office Created, Term: There is hereby created the office of chief of the fire department, who shall be the head of said fire department, and shall hold office until a successor shall be appointed and qualified.
(B) Oath And Bond: The chief of the fire department shall, before entering upon the duties of office, take the oath of office prescribed by law for city officers, and shall execute a bond to the city in the penal sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), with sureties to be approved by the council, conditioned for the faithful performance of the duties of the office.
(C) Head Of The Fire Department: Said chief of the fire department shall be the head of the fire department and shall have full control over the same and over all members thereof, while in the line of their duty subject to the control and supervision of the council, and shall make and establish rules and regulations for the government of said department, and not inconsistent with the provisions of this title. And it shall be the duty of said chief of the fire department to see that the organization of said department is efficiently preserved, its records properly kept, and its rules and regulations duly observed by its members.
(D) Custodian Of Apparatus: The chief of the fire department shall have the custody, subject to the direction of the mayor and council, of the engines, trucks, hoses, ladders and all property and equipment belonging to the fire department.
(E) Duty To Attend Fires: It shall be the duty of the chief of the fire department, if possible, to attend all fires happening in the city, and take command of the fire department at such fire, and see that the several members of the department perform their respective duties.
(F) Investigate Fires, Keep Record: The chief of the fire department shall inquire into and investigate causes of all fires which may occur in the city, as soon as may be after they occur, and keep a record of the proceedings and the circumstances of each case, including name of the owner of property destroyed, the cause of fire, if known, the loss incurred thereby, the amount of insurance, and such other information as may be deemed important to the city by said chief.
(G) Annual Reports: Said chief of the fire department shall, annually at the close of each calendar year, make a written report to the council, showing the condition of the department under the chief's management. In lieu of the annual report the monthly reports may be compiled to satisfy this requirement.
(H) Powers At Fires, Destroy Buildings: The chief of the fire department, or in the chief's absence, the officer in command at any fire, or in case of the absence of such officers, the mayor or any two (2) members of the council, may direct the members of the fire department to cut down and remove any building, erection or fence, for the purpose of checking the progress of any fire; and the chief of the fire department, or other officer in command, shall have the power to blow up or cause to be blown up with powder or otherwise, any building or erection, during the progress of any fire, for the purpose of extinguishing or checking the same.
(I) Bystanders To Obey Orders: Every person who shall be present at any fire shall be subject and obedient to the orders of the chief of the fire department, the assistant chief or lieutenants of the fire department, in extinguishing the fire and the removal and protection of property and in case any person shall refuse to obey such orders, he shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine of not less than twenty five dollars ($25.00), nor more than two hundred dollars ($200.00), for each offense; provided that, no person not a member of the fire department shall be bound to obey any of said officers unless said officers shall bear their respective badges of office or their official character shall be known to him, and said officers shall have the power to arrest any person or persons so refusing to obey such lawful orders as aforesaid. (Ord. 1653, 4-18-2000)
(J) Enforcement: It shall be the duty of said chief of the fire department to cause all provisions of this code for the prevention of fires, and statutes, and all other regulations in reference to the fire department, to be strictly enforced. The fire chief or his designees shall have the power to issue citations, notices to appear, sign complaints and do all other acts and deeds reasonably necessary to effectuate the requirements of this title. (Ord. 1790, 3-2-2004)
(K) Repair Of Apparatus: The fire chief shall, whenever any of the fire engines, hoses, trucks, hooks and ladders or other fire apparatus shall require repair, cause the same to be repaired under the direction and supervision of said chief.
(L) Deliver Property And Records To Successors: Upon the expiration of the term of office, or the resignation thereof, or removal therefrom, the chief of the fire department shall, on demand, deliver to the successor in office, all books, records, apparatus, equipment and property of every description, in said chief's possession, belonging to the city, or appertaining to said office. (Ord. 1653, 4-18-2000)