(A) Created. There is hereby created the position of Chief of the Volunteer Fire Department.
(B) Powers and duties. The Fire Chief shall be responsible for the administration and the enforcement of this chapter. Under his or her direction, the Volunteer Fire Department shall be responsible for enforcing all ordinances of the city pertaining to:
(1) The prevention of fires;
(2) The suppression or extinguishing of dangerous or hazardous fires;
(3) The maintenance of fire protection and elimination of fire hazards on land and in buildings, structures and other property, including those under construction;
(4) The investigation of the cause, origin and circumstances of fire;
(5) During the fire, the Fire Chief shall have full authority to take all measures as he or she deems necessary, subject to state law, to control and extinguish the fire and for that purpose he or she is hereby made a special peace officer;
(6) The Chief shall report to the governing body, at least quarterly, the conditions of the Volunteer Fire Department, together with other information as the governing body may request or that he or she deems appropriate;
(7) The Chief shall be responsible for maintaining the equipment of the Department in good repair and order and ready for use;
(8) The Chief, subject to the approval of the Mayor and the City Council, shall establish rules and regulations for the operation of the Department;
(9) The Fire Chief may delegate his or her duties to any person in the Department, but such delegation shall not relieve the Chief of his or her responsibilities for the performance thereof; and
(10) The Fire Chief may establish within the Volunteer Fire Department, under his or her direction, a Fire Prevention Bureau, which shall consist of such Volunteer Fire Department personnel as may be assigned thereto by the Fire Chief. The function of this Bureau shall be to assist in the enforcement of the fire prevention provisions of the adopted fire code and applicable city ordinances. It shall be the duty of the Chief and the Volunteer Fire Department, and the Fire Prevention Bureau, if established by the Fire Chief, to eliminate fire hazards under the authority of the adopted fire code, which currently states:
Accumulation of waste paper, hay, straw, weeds, litter or combustible or flammable waste material, waste petroleum products or rubbish of any kind shall not be permitted to remain upon any roof, or in any court, yard, vacant lot or open space. Department must have a request or permission from the landowner or his or her agent, to kindle a fire on his or her property to eliminate fire hazards.
(Prior Code, § 4-1-1)