(A) All volunteer firefighters have a duty to respond to alarms of fire and other emergencies when notified.
(B) Firefighters have a duty to be present at all business and training meetings and at special training schools presented for the benefit of the entire Department.
(C) Any firefighter having two unexcused absences in succession or three unexcused absences in a period of three months, as pertaining to division (B) above, shall be subject to disciplinary action.
(D) Volunteer firefighters leaving town for an extended period of time are required to notify the Fire Chief or a member of the Department.
(E) All volunteer firefighters shall complete the minimum number of annual training hours as required to meet federal, state and local regulations.
(F) Any volunteer firefighter refusing to attend training classes mandated by the Department shall be disciplined according to the Fire Department standard operating procedures and standard operating guidelines.
(G) Any volunteer firefighter who does not attend training held by the Town Volunteer Fire Department will make up the training in the same training quarter. Any member failing to make up the training is subject to disciplinary action.
(H) (1) Disciplinary action against members. Any volunteer member of the Fire Department may have disciplinary action taken against him or her by the Fire Chief for just cause, including, but not limited to, any of the offenses in division (H)(2) below.
(2) Listing of deficiencies.
(a) Any illegal or unethical act;
(b) Any unsafe act;
(c) Violation of safety procedures;
(d) Insubordination;
(e) Inefficiency;
(f) Neglect or abandonment of duty;
(g) Participation in prohibited political activity;
(h) Solicitation;
(i) Attendance;
(j) Falsification of records and/or documents;
(k) Using or being under the influence of drugs or intoxicating beverages while on calls;
(l) Waste, damage or unauthorized use of town supplies, equipment or other property;
(m) Conduct unbecoming a firefighter;
(n) Horseplay resulting in personal injury or damage to property;
(o) Conviction of a felony;
(p) Lack of training hours; or
(q) Any other inappropriate behavior as determined by the Fire Chief, Assistant Chief and Senior Captain.
(I) Types of disciplinary action are as follows.
(1) Oral. This would generally be informal and intended for instruction purposes as well as of a corrective nature. The Fire Chief is to document to the personnel file the reason for the disciplinary action.
(2) Written reprimand. This must contain the nature of the infraction, the likely consequences of further infractions, the date, the Fire Chief’s signature and the firefighter’s signature indicating receipt (not necessarily agreement). The firefighter is to receive a copy of the reprimand, with the original being placed in the firefighter’s departmental personnel file as a permanent record.
(3) Written reprimand with suspension. This ordinarily, but not necessarily, follows a written reprimand. The Fire Chief, with the signed concurrence of the Assistant Chief and the Senior Captain, may indefinitely suspend the firefighter pending completion of any investigation of the incident.
(4) Expulsion. This is the choice when all other avenues have been exhausted or are clearly inadequate under the circumstances. The power of expulsion resides exclusively with the Department membership and shall be exercised only pursuant to the provisions of § 33.031 of this chapter.