(A) The Fire Department shall consist of not less than 25 members, all of whom shall:
(1) Be between 18 and 65 years of age;
(2) Be in, and maintain, a state of physical conditioning which will enable them to perform all of the duties, functions, and activities expected of a firefighter;
(3) Meet the applicable requirements for volunteer firefighters as established by the state’s Firefighters Training Council and the policies of the Fire Department; and
(4) Live within ten miles of the city’s fire station.
(B) (1) The Fire Department shall have the following officers, in descending order of rank:
(a) One Chief;
(b) One Assistant Chief;
(c) One Hose Captain;
(d) One Assistant Hose Captain;
(e) One Ladder Captain;
(f) One Assistant Ladder Captain;
(g) One or more Lieutenants;
(h) One Safety Officer;
(i) One Training Officer;
(j) One Secretary; and
(k) One Treasurer.
(2) These officers may be compensated as Council may, from time to time, direct by resolution. The Fire Department shall also have a Board of Trustees, consisting of three members of the Fire Department to be elected by the members of the Fire Department, each of whom shall serve a three-year term.
(C) A vacancy in the office of Chief shall be filled by appointment of the City Manager. Upon creation of a vacancy in the office of Chief, the next highest ranking officer of the Fire Department shall perform the duties of the Chief until such vacancy has been filled.
(D) Upon appointment, the Chief shall immediately assume office and shall hold office until reappointed or removed for cause, or until service is terminated by retirement, resignation, change of residence to outside the city limits, death, or the inability of the Chief to perform his or her duties.
(E) The City Manager may employ or fill additional Fire Department positions with full-time or part-time personnel, if budgeted, for the purpose of Department administration, maintenance, or code enforcement. The duties and compensation of such personnel shall be established by resolution of Council, as recommended by the City Manager.
(F) A vacancy in the membership of the Fire Department shall be filled by appointment of the City Manager, pursuant to the following procedures.
(1) The Department shall maintain a file of applications for membership.
(2) Upon creation of a vacancy in the membership of the Department, applications shall be submitted to, and voted upon by, the members of the Department in accordance with the bylaws of the Department.
(3) The applicant receiving the highest number of votes shall be recommended to the City Manager for membership in the Fire Department.
(G) All entry-level firefighters shall be subject to the policies of the city and the Fire Department and shall be subject to the time limitations for certification established by the state’s Firefighters Training Council.
(H) Active membership in the Fire Department shall terminate upon reaching the age of 65 or when the City Manager determines that a member is no longer able to perform the full range of duties, functions, and activities reasonably expected of a firefighter. Any member of the Department under the age of 65 who cannot perform all of the duties, functions, and activities of an active firefighter, as described by the job descriptions of the Fire Department, may elect to serve in such non-firefighting capacities as may be directed by the Chief.
(I) All resignations from the Fire Department shall first be submitted to the Chief, who shall thereupon submit them to the City Manager for appropriate action. All resigning members of the Department, having fulfilled the requirements for honorary membership in the Fire Department as set forth in the bylaws of the Department, shall be placed on the honorary membership role.
(J) The Chief shall report to the City Manager the name of each member or officer of the Department who has been expelled, demoted, or otherwise disciplined and shall also report the circumstances of such expulsion, demotion, or other disciplinary action. Any member or officer of the Fire Department who has been expelled, demoted, or disciplined for any offense, neglect of duty or insubordination shall have the right to appear before the City Manager to present reasons why such expulsion, demotion, or other disciplinary action should not be confirmed by the City Manager.
(K) The Department shall be organized into one or, at the option of the Chief, into two or more companies.
(1) One such company shall consist of not more than ten non-compensated auxiliary firefighters, which shall support the Fire Department during periods of manpower shortages, and which shall serve as a pool of future candidates for active membership in the Fire Department.
(2) Each such company of the Department shall be in charge of a Captain or, in his or her absence, a Lieutenant who shall be responsible to the Chief.
(3) At any time deemed necessary, the Chief may make temporary transfers of personnel between companies.
(L) The duties of all firefighters shall be described in the policies of the Department, which shall be subject to approval of the City Manager.
(M) The election of the Secretary, Treasurer, Trustees, and such social officers as the bylaws of the Fire Department may require shall be held at the annual meeting of the Fire Department in such manner as is provided for in the bylaws of the Department. In case of any vacancy in such offices, the Chief shall appoint an active member of the Department in good standing to fill such vacancy until the next annual meeting.
(Prior Code, § 250.02) (Ord. 2007-1, passed 1-11-2007)