(A) There is hereby established for the city a Fire Department.
(B) The Fire Department shall consist of salaried firefighters and volunteer firefighters, the number of which shall be determined by the City Manager.
(C) For the purposes of this section, a volunteer firefighter is considered as one who is enrolled as a member of the Fire Department, and who serves in that capacity without receiving a regular salary.
(D) All new members (volunteer and full-time) of the Fire Department shall be on probation for a period of one year after their appointment to the Fire Department. At the conclusion of the one-year probationary period, full-time and volunteer firefighters shall be subject to an evaluation to determine compliance with departmental requirements. Volunteer firefighters after such time, if the needs of the city require it, may be selected by the City Manager as a full-time firefighter employee of the Fire Department. New volunteer members upon completion of this one-year probationary period must be approved by the majority of the Fire Department.
(E) The Fire Department shall adopt rules and regulations governing the conduct and performance criteria for voluntary firefighters, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) All volunteer firefighters are required, when notified, to respond to alarms of fire and other emergencies;
(2) All firefighters are required to be present at all regular meetings, call meetings and schools presented for the benefit of the firefighters unless his or her absence therefrom is approved in advance in writing by the Fire Chief prior to the meeting or school;
(3) There shall be at least one regular business meeting per month;
(4) Any volunteer firefighter having two unexcused absences in a period of three months will be dropped from the Department rolls;
(5) Volunteer firefighters leaving the city for an extended period of time shall notify the Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief in advance; and
(6) Any volunteer firefighter refusing to attend training classes provided for him or her will be dropped from the Department rolls.
(F) The following violations shall constitute grounds for dismissal as a voluntary firefighter, to wit:
(1) Conduct unbecoming a firefighter;
(2) Insubordination;
(3) Neglect of duty;
(4) Willful violation of rules and regulations of the Department; or
(5) Conviction of a felony.
(G) The Fire Department shall establish minimum physical requirements for firefighters within the Fire Department. The minimum requirements shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) Adequate health history information; and
(2) Physical strength and endurance testing.
(H) Volunteer firefighters shall not direct, control or give instructions to full-time firefighters or to emergency medical personnel at the scene of a fire or other emergency. When no full-time firefighter is on the scene, higher ranking volunteer firefighters shall give directions to lower ranking volunteer firefighters.
(2002 Code, § 37.16) (Ord. 253, passed 1-18-1988; Ord. 488, passed 4-14-2004)