(A) Creation and purpose. The city’s reserve firefighters are hereby created, with the goal to limit the amount of damage, whether it is to property or life, by providing an adequate, well-trained response of suppression forces for major emergencies. The primary objective is to staff the engine and the truck companies on all first alarm structure assignments within five to ten minutes of the alarm. The reserves shall provide an immediate manpower pool in addition to the on-duty forces.
(B) Membership; qualifications; appointment; bond.
(1) The reserves unit shall consist of such number of members as shall from time to time be determined by the Mayor and Council.
(2) The Mayor and City Council shall prescribe the qualifications and standards by which applicants for membership in the reserve shall be governed, and persons possessing said qualifications and conforming to said standards may be appointed to the reserves by the Fire Chief.
(3) (a) To be eligible for membership in the reserves, each applicant must indicate his or her willingness to attend regularly scheduled trainings, on the second or third Monday of each month commencing at 7:00 p.m. and any additional day and time as needed, and not miss more than two consecutive meetings or drills unless excused by the Fire Chief.
(b) Members shall also attend all quarterly department meetings, scheduled for the first Monday in January, April, July and October. Excessive unexcused absences throughout the year shall be cause for possible termination.
(4) Application for membership in the reserves shall be submitted in writing at the office of the Fire Chief. All eligible applicants will be contacted for an oral review before one paid Captain, President of the Reserves, Assistant Fire Chief and the Fire Chief, with any three of the four constituting a quorum. Candidates will be rated on oral, interpersonal and decision-making skills.
(5) Upon acceptance to the reserves, each member of the reserve fire division shall be bonded by the city before being installed in the Department.
(C) Officers.
(1) The reserves shall elect a President, Vice-President and a Secretary-Treasurer. They shall be elected on a rotating basis (President, Secretary-Treasurer and one member at large elected in even years, Vice President and one member at large in odd years) during the first regular meeting held by the reserve company upon its formation and at the regular meeting in July of each year thereafter, by a majority of the members present, and shall hold office for one year, or until their successors are elected.
(2) It shall be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings. It shall be the duty of the Vice-President to preside at all meetings, in the absence of the President. It shall be the duty of the Secretary-Treasurer to keep a list of all members, to call roll at each meeting and to keep an accurate record of all minutes and finances of the reserves and to provide said records to the Fire Chief.
(D) Fire calls and response. All fire calls and response criteria shall be outlined in the most recent copy of the Constitution and bylaws.
(E) Control. Members of the reserves shall be subject to the control of the Fire Chief and his or her designees.
(F) Rules and regulations.
(1) The Mayor and Council may promulgate such rules and regulations and provisions, and amendments thereto, as may in their discretion be necessary to carry out the express intent of this subchapter, to include a table of organization not in conflict herewith.
(2) The reserves unit may adopt its own rules and regulations to govern its operation in matters not involving fire training and periods of active duty, subject to approval by the Fire Chief.
(Prior Code, § 33.04) (Ord. 21-04, passed 2-1-2021; Ord. 22-18, passed 7-18-2022)