A. Offices Created: There are hereby created the respective offices of the Fire Chief, Captain, Lieutenant, engineer and firemen, and such other additional offices of the Fire Department as may from time to time be created by ordinance, and such officers shall constitute and be known and designated as members of the Fire Department.
B. Members Appointed: The authority and power to appoint members to the Fire Department, except the Fire Chief, is hereby vested and given to the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners of the Village; however, appointment of members of volunteer group or groups shall be made by the President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Trustees.
C. Captain:
1. Office Created: There is hereby created and established the Office of Captain of the Fire Department.
2. Duties: The Captain is directly subordinate to the Fire Chief and in his absence, or upon his direction, shall have all the rights, duties and obligations of the Fire Chief, and such other duties as may be required of him by the Fire Chief.
D. Lieutenant:
1. Office Created: There is hereby created and established the Office of Lieutenant of the Fire Department.
2. Duties: In the absence of their immediate superior officer, Lieutenants shall take command of companies and the authority, power and duties and responsibilities of such superior officers shall vest in them.
E. Firemen:
1. Office: There is hereby established and created the office of firemen, consisting of fire engineers and firefighters, which shall be such number as is provided by ordinance.
2. Duties: Firemen shall perform all duties delegated to them in the manner prescribed by law or ordinance, or by the rules and regulations of the Fire Department, and it shall be their function and duty to extinguish accidental or destructive fires, and to prevent the occurrence or spread of such fires.
3. Minimum Age: No applicant for original appointment to the position of full-time firefighter/paramedic shall be permitted to participate in any examination, written or otherwise, as specified by the Fire and Police Commissioners of the Village of Oak Lawn unless he or she has attained the age of twenty-one (21) years.
F. Company Commander:
1. Designated: There is hereby created an administrative designation of Company Commander of which there shall be such number as is provided by ordinance. The Fire Chief may, at his discretion, designate any officer, or member of a volunteer group, with rank of Lieutenant or above as Company Commander.
2. Powers And Duties:
a. General: The Company Commander shall have the responsibility, supervision and control of each firehouse, its assigned personnel, and equipment, and shall control all of the active firefighting within each Fire District as the Fire Chief shall designate, and shall perform such duties as may be required of him by the Fire Chief or the provisions of this Code.
b. Specify Hours Of Duty: The Company Commander, subject to approval of the Fire Chief, arranges the working hours of the personnel in his company in such manner that no member shall be required to be on duty more than twenty four (24) hours in any consecutive seventy two (72) hours; except that, in case of serious conflagration or other emergency, the Commander may require duty to continue during such emergency.
c. Cordon Around Fires: The Company Commander or other member in charge at a fire or other emergency may prescribe and maintain the limits in the vicinity thereof within which no person may be permitted to enter except by his permission.
d. Destroy Property: The Company Commander or other member in charge at a fire or other emergency shall have the power to cause the removal or destruction of any property whenever, in his judgment, it shall become necessary to do so to prevent the destruction of property by the communication of fire.
e. Arrest Powers: The Company Commander or any other member in command at the scene of a fire or other emergency, or while in charge of fire apparatus or companies, shall at the time the offense is committed or any time thereafter, have the authority to arrest any person suspected of arson, incendiarism or malicious mischief, or who conducts himself in a disorderly manner, or who refuses to obey such member while acting in the discharge of duty, or who illegally gives or transmits false alarms, or who wilfully, maliciously or negligently causes damage to fire apparatus or houses.
(Ords. 67-1-1, 18-01-02, 20-23-68)