[Added 2-27-1989 by Ord. No. 18-1989; 5-29-2001 by Ord. No. 14-2001]
In the month of February of each year, the Department of Fire and Rescue Services shall certify as firefighter those members of the City volunteer fire engine companies who have maintained sufficient and adequate ongoing fire training and who have received any other fire suppression instruction as required by the Department. It is the intent of this provision that only those members of volunteer fire companies who have been certified as a firefighter by the Department shall be permitted to ride in or on Department of Fire and Rescue Services apparati, utilize or employ firefighting devices, tools and equipment and/or engage in firefighting, fire- suppression activities and/or participate directly or indirectly in firefighting activities at a fire scene, in order to lessen the element of danger to life and property because of improvident actions of insufficiently trained volunteer and noncertified firefighters. Members of volunteer fire companies certified in any one phase of Department of Fire and Rescue Services operations such as SCUBA rescue/hazardous materials, etc., shall not, without the required credentials, be teams of the Department, certified to participate in their own respective emergency and rescue units, shall, nevertheless, be required to be a certified volunteer firefighter in order to participate in fire-suppression emergency operations.