It is the duty of the Chief to:
(A) Be accountable to the City Manager for the personnel, morale, and general efficiency of the Fire Department;
(B) Direct the operations of the Fire Department subject to the rules and regulations thereof;
(C) Be present at all fires or other major incident, if possible, and plan and direct the mitigation thereof. During the progress of an incident, the authority of the Fire Chief shall be absolute in all matters directly concerning the mitigation of the incident and disposition of property endangered by it;
(D) Conduct suitable drills or instruction in the operation and handling of equipment, first aid and rescue work, salvage, a study of buildings in the city, water supplies, and all other matters generally considered essential to good fire department services and safety of life and property from fire;
(E) Assist the proper authorities in suppressing the crime of arson by investigating or causing to be investigated the cause, origin, and circumstances of all fires;
(F) Inspect buildings and premises and serve written notice upon the owner or occupant to abate, within a specified time, any and all fire hazards that may be found. For the purpose of conducting the inspection, the Chief is hereby empowered to enter any and all buildings and premises within the city at any reasonable hour. Any person served with a written notice shall comply and notify the Chief of his or her compliance within a reasonable time;
(G) Keep complete records of all incidents, inspections, apparatus and equipment, personnel, and other information about the work of the Department open to the City Manager inspection and furnish to the City Manager that information upon request;
(H) Make a complete annual report, in writing, to the City Manager within the time limits set by the City Manager. The report shall include the information specified in division (G) of this section, together with comparative data for previous years and recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the Department;
(I) Enforce or cause to be enforced all ordinances, laws, and regulations of the city and state, insofar as they pertain to fire and safety;
(J) Demote, dismiss, or expel any officer or member of the Department for neglect or refusal to perform Departmental duties, subject to the right of any members so demoted, dismissed, or expelled to appeal to the City Manager; and
(K) Recruit, test, and select both uniformed commissioned and non-uniformed members of the Fire Department.
(Prior Code, § 4-2-4) (Res. R05-04-13, passed 4-28-2005; Ord. O05-04-05, passed 5-12-2005)