(A) The Fire Chief, in consultation with the members of the Fire Department and the Board of Alderpersons, shall promulgate rules and regulations for the government of the Fire Department, its personnel and property. The rules and regulations, when approved by the Board of Alderpersons and placed on file in the office of the Town Administrator/Town Clerk, shall be binding on all personnel of the Fire Department, and it shall be unlawful for any member of the Fire Department to violate or fail to comply with any rule or regulation.
(Prior Code, § 6-20)
(B) The Chief of the Fire Department shall be the commanding officer of the Fire Department and shall be responsible to the Board of Alderpersons for its proper management. The property of the Fire Department shall be in his or her care and, for its safety and proper assignment, he or she shall be directly responsible to the Board of Alderpersons. It shall be the duty of the Chief to see that all Departmental rules, regulations and orders are promptly and faithfully respected and obeyed, and whenever any violation thereof is reported to him or her or comes under his or her personal observation, he or she shall promptly investigate the matter and report it to the membership of the Fire Department. The Chief is authorized to summarily suspend from duty any member of the Fire Department for disobedience or misconduct, but shall immediately report the suspension, together with all the facts in the case, to the membership for its consideration and action. The Chief or Assistant Chief shall respond to all alarms and shall, upon arrival at the scene of the fire, at once assume command, taking every precaution for the protection of life and property. He or she shall make a monthly report of the number of volunteer firefighters attending fires. He or she shall see that the station is in good order and well cared for. He or she shall have authority at all times, day or night, in the performance of the duties imposed by this chapter or elsewhere in this code or any other ordinances of the city, to enter upon and examine any building or premises where a fire has occurred and other buildings or premises adjoining or near thereto.
(Prior Code, § 6-22)
(C) It shall be the duty of the Chief of the Fire Department to investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in the town and within area covered by the city and to ascertain whether the fire was the result of carelessness or design. The investigation shall be made within three days, not including Sunday, after the occurrence of each fire and, within one week thereafter, he or she shall furnish to the State Insurance Commissioner and the Attorney General a written statement of all facts relating to the cause and origin of the fire, the kind, value and ownership of the property destroyed, and other information as may be called for by the blanks furnished by the State Insurance Commissioner or the Attorney General. He or she shall keep records giving the time, date and location of the fire, the owner or lessee of the property, the amount of loss, the amount of insurance and the result of his or her investigation as to the cause, origin and circumstances of the fire.
(Prior Code, § 6-23)
(D) The county, through its Department of Environmental Services, Codes Enforcement Division, will perform fire prevention inspections for the town. The Chief of the Fire Department shall render a report to the Board of Alderpersons at the first meeting of each quarter, showing the condition of the fire-fighting equipment, that hydrants have been properly inspected as to serviceability for fire use, together with the recommendations as he or she may see fit to make regarding placing the Fire Department in a better position to fill its requirements.
(Prior Code, § 6-24)
(E) In the absence of the Chief of the Fire Department, the officer next in authority shall be in charge of the Fire Department and shall have complete charge at the scene of all fires.
(Prior Code, § 6-25) (Ord. passed 3-2-1992)