(A) Department created. There is hereby created the Fire Department of the city. The Department shall consist of the Fire Chief and such other firefighters as the corporate authorities may from time to time deem necessary to implement the provisions of this subchapter. The Department shall be under the general supervision of the Public Safety Committee.
(1999 Code, § 30-5-1)
(B) Employees. The Fire Chief and all full-time firefighters shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of §§ 32.20 through 32.30. Volunteer firefighters shall be appointed in accordance with their by-laws as provided by division (C) below. The Chief shall take an oath of office as an appointed officer of the city as provided by Chapters 30 and 31.
(1999 Code, § 30-5-2)
(C) Duties of the Fire Chief. The Fire Chief shall exercise general management and control of the Fire Department.
(1) The Fire Chief shall supervise over and be responsible for the approval of the qualifications of all members of the Fire Department and the duties that each member is allowed to perform pursuant to his or her determination of each member’s skill and other qualifications, their conduct and performance and each member’s compliance with the rules and regulations of the Fire Department. The Fire Chief may accept information from the Executive Board of the City Emergency Unit and Volunteer Fire Department related to the qualifications of any volunteer member of the Department. The Fire Chief shall report to the City Council any serious violations of the Department’s rules and regulations with a recommendation of the action(s) to be taken by the City Council. Those recommendations make include, but are not limited to, censure, reprimand, suspension or termination.
(2) He or she shall investigate, or cause to be investigated, the cause of all fires occurring within the city.
(3) He or she shall be the custodian of all vehicles, equipment, structures and property provided by the city for the use of the Department.
(4) He or she shall enforce the provisions of this chapter and make such inspections as necessary for that purpose.
(5) He or she shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by the provisions of this code or by the corporate authorities.
(6) The Fire Chief shall have the right and with the approval of the City Council to make all needed and necessary rules and regulations concerning the care and control of the fire equipment and the discipline of the members of the Department. After approval of the City Council, those rules and regulations shall be published to the members of the Fire Department and shall have the force of and be enforced as an ordinance of the city.
(7) T
he Fire Chief shall make a report to the City Council at the first regular meeting of each month of all fires, where located, the cause thereof, the time and duration thereof, and such other information as may be requested by the City Council.
(8) The Fire Chief shall have the authority to appoint an Assistant Fire Chief if necessary. The starting salary of said Assistant Chief will be $32,000 per year, with raises to be negotiated and agreed upon by the City Council.
(1999 Code, § 30-5-3) (Ord. 14-11, passed 8-9-2011; Ord. 12-20, passed 10-13-2020; Ord. 11-21, passed 9-14-2021)