(A) The City Fire Chief shall be elected by the members of the Fire Department. He or she shall enforce all laws and ordinances covering the prevention of fires; the storage and use of explosives and flammable substances; the installation of fire alarm systems; the maintenance of fire-extinguishing equipment; the regulation of fire escapes; and the inspection of all premises requiring adequate fire escapes. He or she shall begin immediately to investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of fires arising within his or her jurisdiction. He or she shall, on or before April 1 and October 1 of each year, cause the secretary to file with the City Clerk, and the Clerk of the District Court, a certified copy of the rolls of all members in good standing in their respective companies in order to obtain the exemptions provided by law.
(B) The City Council shall purchase workers’ compensation insurance and a group term life insurance policy for each active volunteer firefighter. Said life insurance policy shall provide a minimum of $5,000 for death from any cause to age 65 and shall, at the option of the individual firefighter, be convertible to a permanent form of life insurance at age 65. The Fire Chief shall have the power during the time of a fire and for a period of 36 hours thereafter to arrest any suspected arsonist, or any person for hindering the Department’s efforts, conducting himself or herself in a noisy and disorderly manner, or who shall refuse to obey any lawful order by the Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief.
(C) The Fire Chief, or his or her assistant in charge of operations at a fire, may command the services of any person present at any fire in extinguishing the same or in the removal and protection of property. Failure to obey such an order shall be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine. The Fire Chief shall have the right to enter at all reasonable hours into buildings and upon all premises within his or her jurisdiction for the purpose of examining the same for fire hazards and related dangers, in harmony with Neb. RS 81-501.01 to 81-531, the Nebraska Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act of 1969, the Petroleum Products and Hazardous Substances Storage and Handling Act and any other statutory duties imposed upon the State Fire Marshal.
(Prior Code, § 1-210) Penalty, see § 10.99
Statutory reference:
Similar provisions, see Neb. RS 17-147, 17-505, 35-102, 35-108, 81-506 and 81-512