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Monies shall be appropriated from the General Fund of the town for the operating expenses of the Fire Department. In addition, the Fire Department is authorized to raise funds and solicit donations through social activities, for the purpose of defraying expenses of the Department, which funds shall be turned over to and earmarked by the Town Clerk-Treasurer for disbursement along with appropriated funds in accordance with applicable ordinances and state statutes for Fire Department purposes. No member of the Department or any other person shall contract any indebtedness on behalf of the Department unless authorized to do so with approval by the Mayor.
(Prior Code, § 6-2-2)
(A) Appointment, oath, and bond.
(1) The Fire Chief shall be appointed for a four-year term by the Mayor with the consent of the governing body, and may be removed by the Mayor and governing body for incompetency or neglect of duty at any time during the four-year term. The Fire Chief shall take and subscribe an official oath and shall file the oath with the Clerk-Treasurer, the oath to be the same as the oath taken by other officers of the town, except for additions and/or alterations as may be obviously necessary or desirable to render the oath suitable and adaptable to the intent of such officer and which may be authorized by the governing body.
(2) In addition to the oath of office, the Chief shall execute a bond to the people of the town if such bond is deemed necessary by the governing body, in the amount as directed by the governing body, conditioned upon faithful performance of the duties of his or her office in accordance with law and within the boundaries of this authority, and shall file the bond with the Town Clerk-Treasurer. The expense of the bond is to be paid out of the General Fund of the town treasury, in the same manner as that in which the expense of the bonds for other officers of the town is paid.
(B) Powers and duties. The Chief of the Fire Department shall be responsible for the discipline, good order, and proper conduct of the entire Department, and for the enforcement of all ordinances and regulations pertaining to it. He or she shall be responsible for the proper care of the house, fire apparatus, and all other property of the Department or in its charge. He or she shall have command and control over all officers and members of the Department and all houses, fire apparatus, and other property of the Department or in its charge, and he or she likewise shall have control of all persons present at fires.
(Prior Code, § 6-2-3) (Ord. 2024-01, passed 4-4-2024)
(A) Assistant Chiefs. The Fire Chief shall have the power to appoint two Assistant Chiefs such that the town would have 24-hour, seven day a week fire protection.
(B) Officers. The Fire Chief may appoint and prescribe the duties of such other Fire Department officers as may be deemed necessary, subject to the approval of the governing body.
(Prior Code, § 6-2-4)
(A) Volunteer and auxiliary. In addition to the Fire Chief and officers of the Fire Department, there shall be volunteer firefighters and auxiliary firefighters who may be referred to as members of the town Volunteer Fire Department. The volunteer firefighters and auxiliary firefighters shall be referred to jointly as the Town Volunteer Fire Department. There shall be such number of positions for both volunteer firefighters and auxiliary firefighters as are from time to time approved by the governing body. Auxiliary firefighters shall not be actual volunteer firefighters and shall act only in accordance with the adopted town policy pertaining to auxiliary firefighters.
(B) Appointment; training course.
(1) No person shall be accepted to the position of volunteer firefighter until he or she has taken a training course prescribed by the Fire Chief, and passed an examination indicating adequate knowledge of the matters taught in the course. Such test shall be prescribed by the Fire Chief, and matters covered shall include but not be limited to methods of firefighting, types of buildings, operation of equipment, first aid, treatment of smoke inhalation, administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, and such other relevant items as shall be directed by the Fire Chief.
(2) In the case of any individual who has prior experience as a firefighter on a volunteer fire department or on a full time fire department, the Chief may waive any part of the course, but the applicant shall take the test.
(3) All auxiliary firefighters shall be exempt from taking the prescribed training courses and examination as delineated in division (B)(1) above. The Fire Chief shall be responsible for prescribing the training requirements, if any, for all auxiliary volunteer firefighters.
(C) In service training. Each volunteer firefighter shall take regular training at least once each month, on the subjects prescribed and in the manner prescribed by the Fire Chief. The Chief shall require a minimum number of hours of training each month for each volunteer firefighter. The minimum number of hours shall be the amount required, in the opinion of the Chief, to learn new techniques and to continue to maintain skills under old techniques. Auxiliary firefighters shall not be required to take any in service training, except as determined by the Fire Chief, but may voluntarily participate in training at the discretion of the Fire Chief.
(D) Compensation. Members of the Volunteer Fire Department shall not receive payment for time spent answering fire calls. Members should not be paid for time attending any required training or any other training in connection with service as a volunteer firefighter. Volunteer firefighters who are members of the Town Volunteer Fire Department shall have the option of the town contributing to the state’s Volunteer Firefighters’, EMT, Search and Rescue Pension Account in an amount to be determined annually by the Council. Auxiliary firefighters who are members of the Town Volunteer Fire Department shall not receive pay and shall not have the option of the town contributing to the state’s Volunteer Firefighters’, EMT, Search and Rescue Pension Account for their benefit.
(E) List of members. The Chief of the Fire Department shall maintain, in the office of the Town Clerk-Treasurer, an accurate list of the members of the Fire Department and shall report promptly any additions or withdrawals from the membership.
(Prior Code, § 6-2-5) (Ord. 2024-01, passed 4-4-2024)
It shall be the duty of every officer and member of the Department to obey without question the orders of his or her superior officers at all times while in the fire station or at, or going to, or returning from fires.
(Prior Code, § 6-2-6) (Ord. 2024-01, passed 4-4-2024)
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