The Division Chief or his assistant shall investigate all fires, explosions or losses within his jurisdiction and shall hold such investigation at any time on the property and within the legal boundaries of the property involved without any interference from the property owner or his family or representatives, or any company having property on or within the premises.
Until the investigation is completed no person shall remove any property attached to or within the legal boundaries of such property without first getting permission from the Volunteer Chief or his assistant.
No private person, including the owner of the property in question, shall order firefighters away or off the premises or interfere in any way with firefighters while they are engaged in putting out a fire or in investigating the premises to determine the cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding it.
If any person should attempt, by force or otherwise, to hinder a firefighter while he is engaged in fighting a fire, the firefighter has the right to repel such force and to take whatever measures are reasonably necessary under the circumstances to remove the person who is causing the interference or hindering the work of the firefighter, even to causing the arrest of such person. While a firefighter has no authority to make an arrest except when he discovers someone in the actual perpetration of a crime, he may ask police to arrest any person who is willfully attempting to hinder him from performing his lawful duties and he may take whatever steps are reasonably necessary and proper to prevent such interference, even to the use of force.
In addition, if the Division Chief deems it necessary to hold an investigation, the property owner shall be so advised and will be required to find housing until such time as the Chief or his assistant completes his investigation, at which time the property owner will be so advised.
(Ord. 974. Passed 8-11-80.)