The fire commissioner or uniformed service incident commander shall have the authority to: (1) direct such operation as necessary to extinguish or control any fire; (2) perform any rescue operation; (3) investigate the existence of suspected or reported fires, gas leaks or other hazardous conditions or situations; (4) construct emergency fire breaks; (5) evacuate persons from the area; (6) close, cordon or barricade streets, roads, drives or other public or private access ways; (7) ignite backfires and conduct backfire operations; or (8) take any other action necessary in the reasonable performance of duty or mitigation of the emergency. In the exercise of such power, the fire commissioner or uniformed service incident commander is authorized to: (i) prohibit any person, vehicle, vessel or thing from approaching the scene; or (ii) remove, or to cause to be removed or kept away, from the scene, any vehicle, vessel or thing that could impede or interfere with the operations of the fire department; or (iii) remove, or to cause to be removed or kept away, from the scene, any person who, in the judgment of the fire commissioner or uniformed service incident commander, is not actually and usefully employed in extinguishing such fire, mitigating the emergency or preserving property in the vicinity thereof.
(Added Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 2)