(A) Appointment. The Chief of the Fire Department shall be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council.
(B) Qualifications.
(1) Experience. A person to be qualified for the position of the Chief of the Fire Department shall have a minimum of five years’ full-time experience with an underwriters-rated fire department, or, alternatively, shall have served as a chief or assistant chief of a volunteer fire department for a minimum period of five years.
(2) Citizenship; health. He or she must be a citizen of the United States and in good health, as evidenced by a physical examination certified by a physician duly licensed to practice medicine within the state, which physical examination shall be taken not more than 90 days prior to his or her appointment as Chief of the Fire Department.
(C) Executive officer. The Chief of the Fire Department shall be the executive officer of the Fire Department. Additionally, the Chief of the Fire Department shall be the chief or executive officer of the agency and/or organization contracted to carry out the Fire Department functions for the city.
(D) Powers and duties.
(1) Rules and regulations. The Chief of the Fire Department shall have the power to make rules and regulations governing the officers and employees of the Fire Department; such rules and regulations shall be subject to the approval of the Mayor and Council.
(2) Assignment of duties. It shall be the duty of the Chief of the Fire Department to assign the employees of the Fire Department to duty with the various apparatus of the Fire Department.
(3) Employee records. The Chief of the Fire Department shall keep a book in which shall be entered the name of each officer and employee, the date and character of his or her employment, his or her nationality, his or her age at the time of his or her employment, whether he or she is married or unmarried, and, in case of his or her discharge or discontinuance in service, the date and cause thereof; he or she shall also keep an entry in said book of the duty to which each employee is assigned.
(4) Equipment. The Chief of the Fire Department shall be responsible for the efficient working of the Department, and shall have under his or her charge all fire apparatus belonging to the city and the Fire Department, and shall from time to time make such recommendations to the Fire and Water Committee of the City Council with reference to the extension, alteration, or improvement of the fire alarm system and the purchase, repair, and maintenance of the apparatus belonging to the city and the Fire Department as he or she shall deem necessary.
(5) Fire scene.
(a) Ex officio powers. The Chief of the Fire Department shall have control of all persons present at any fire, and to that end shall ex officio have and exercise all the powers of the Chief of Police.
(b) Immediate action. When a fire breaks out, he or she shall take immediate and proper steps for its extinguishment.
(c) Summon assistance.
1. Power. The Chief of the Fire Department shall have the power to summon and require any and all persons present at a fire to aid in extinguishing the same as he or she shall direct, or in removing personal property from any building on fire or in danger thereof, or in guarding such property.
2. Refusal to obey summons. Any person refusing to obey such summons and order shall be deemed guilty of an offense, and upon conviction thereof shall be subject to penalty as provided in § 10.99 of this code of ordinances.
(E) Turnover of books and property upon leaving office. Whenever the Chief of the Fire Department shall go out of office, he or she shall turn over to his or her successor in office all the books, papers, and property of the Fire Department under his or her care. He or she shall take a receipt in duplicate therefor, and file one copy thereof in the office of the City Clerk for reference. Said receipt shall discharge the liability of the outgoing Chief of the Fire Department for all books and papers enumerated therein, and charge the same to his or her successor.
(Prior Code, § 7-1-3) (Ord. 350, passed 9-14-1959; Ord. 405, passed 11-9-1971) Penalty, see § 10.99