(A) No Fire Department apparatus shall be dispatched beyond the corporate limits of the city to assist at any fire or for any other purpose, except by order of the Mayor or Fire Chief or their designated representatives, and subject to the restrictions and conditions hereinafter set forth.
(B) The Mayor or Fire Chief are authorized, in their discretion, to aid in the extinguishing of fires in another city or community, public institutions, corporations, or other property within a reasonable distance from the city, or on property adjacent to the city in which there is possibility of fire spreading within the corporate limits under the following conditions:
(1) A request from a city or incorporated town or organized fire protection agency must come only from the Mayor, Fire Chief, or other person as may be designated by mutual aid agreement.
(2) A request from an individual property owner for fire protection service to his property adjacent to the corporate limits of the city will be honored only when there is a prior request and agreement on file with the Fire Department.
(3) Calls for fire protection service may be responded to only by such apparatus which in the judgement of the Mayor or Fire Chief can safely be dispatched without unduly impairing the fire protection within the city, and when highway and weather conditions are favorable.
(4) The city, incorporated town, organized fire protection agency, public institution, corporation, or individual property owners requesting fire protection assistance must pay the charge for apparatus and service as hereinafter provided for unless there exists a current mutual aid agreement.
(5) The city, incorporated town, organized fire protection agency, public institution, or corporation, requesting fire protection service must compensate the city for any loss or damage to such apparatus while answering such call.
(C) (1) Unless there exists a mutual aid agreement or prior request and agreement, every city, incorporated town, organized fire protection agency, individual property owner, public institution or corporation requesting and receiving such fire protection service from the city shall pay for such service and use of apparatus as follows:
(a) Pumper truck - $100 per call plus $25 for each half-hour or fraction thereof;
(b) Tank truck - $75 per call plus $25 per hour or fraction thereof;
(2) Such fees shall be payable to the city within 15 days after billing.
(D) The Mayor, Clerk-Treasurer and Fire Chief are hereby authorized to enter into mutual aid agreements with other cities, incorporated towns, organized fire protection agencies, public institutions and corporations, and to enter into prior requests and agreements with individual property owners for the providing of fire protection services, subject to the following conditions: that the parties with whom such mutual aid agreements are entered into shall agree to indemnify the city against any and all loss, cost and damages which it may suffer or sustain by reason of damage to any apparatus arising from any cause whatsoever while such apparatus is going to or from the scene of the fire. Indemnity shall be made within 15 days after the date of billing.
(E) Monies collected under the terms of division (C) above of this section shall be used to provide hospitalization, and income insurance for the members of the White Hall Volunteer Fire Department and to increase the funds in the Firemen's Pension Fund and for no other purpose. Monies collected under division (D) above of this section shall be used for repair, maintenance and replacement of apparatus and equipment which may suffer or sustain damage as a result of responding to a call for fire protection service, while at the scene of a fire, and while returning to the city from the scene of the fire.
(Ord. 100, passed 3-14-77)
Statutory reference:
Authority to regulate use of fire apparatus outside of city, see A.C. § 14-53-102