(A) The offices of Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief are hereby established. On or before December 1 of each year, the Fire Department members shall choose from among their group three names and submit these to the Mayor. The Mayor shall, upon his or her concurrence with these recommendations, appoint one of these three as Chief and another as Assistant Chief, said appointments to be made at the first City Council meeting in January each year and becoming final upon approval of the Council members present for this meeting.
(1) In the event the Mayor does not concur with the Department recommendations, he or she may appoint a person of his or her choosing which would again become final upon approval of the Council.
(2) This process also applies to the filling of a vacancy in either position and should be begun as soon as possible after the vacancy occurs. A vacancy shall be declared to exist by reason of death, resignation, moving beyond the city limits, or removal from office. The Fire Chief or Assistant may be removed from office by the Mayor for neglect of duty, conduct unbecoming a Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief, or other just causes as defined by law.
(3) The offices of Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief can be filled at any time by an individual living either inside or outside the city limits. The fact that a City Fire Chief or City Assistant Fire Chief moves from the city limits to beyond the city limits does not create a vacancy in either such office.
(B) The Chief of the Fire Department shall have supervision of the Fire Department and shall be directly responsible to the Mayor for the efficient operation thereof. The Chief shall be charged with the duties of superintending the extinguishing of fires. In connection therewith, he or she shall have the power and duty to keep away from the vicinity of any fire all idle, disorderly, or suspicious persons; to control and compel all officers of the city and other persons to aid in the extinguishing of fires and the preservation of property exposed to danger thereat; and in preventing goods from being stolen. To these ends, the Chief is granted the powers of a peace officer.
(C) The Chief shall keep or cause to be kept a record of the attendance of the members and a record of all fires; and by the first of each month, the Chief shall file with the City Clerk-Treasurer a full report of such records, attendance, and fires.
(D) A city sticker will be furnished at no cost as a reimbursement of expenses to each member firefighter who has attended a minimum of five of the last 12 regular monthly meetings of the Fire Department.
(Prior Code, § 35.21) (Ord. 02-84, passed 1-10-1984; Ord. 2020.01.02, passed 2-17-2020; Ord. 2020.02.02, passed 2-17-2020)