§ 2.48.050. Powers and duties of the chief

A. Inspection of Fire Apparatus. It shall be the duty of the chief to examine at least once a month the fire apparatus and all appliances in use for extinguishing fires and report their condition to the mayor and council when requested to do so and to make an annual report in writing to the mayor and council when requested to do so and to make an annual report in writing to the mayor and council at the first regular meeting in January, giving a detailed account of such fires as may have occurred, the cause of such fires, and such other information as he or she may think proper. He or she shall superintend all repairs ordered from time to time by the council to fire apparatus and appliances; he or she shall use all means of the department to extinguish fires which may occur and shall have sole and absolute control and command over the fire apparatus and all members of the fire department in case of actual fire, or whenever called into active service, and he or she shall have control over all other fire apparatus and persons aiding and assisting the department in case of fire in the borough; he or she shall have general control over the members of the fire department and all fire apparatus belonging to the borough at all other times, provided, however, that all of the powers hereinabove granted in this section to the chief shall be subject to the approval of the fire committee of the council.

B. Attendance at Fires. The chief and the first and second assistant chiefs shall, when it is possible for them to do so, attend all fires which occur within the borough; and they are empowered and required to take charge of any building or buildings which may be on fire, to evict from or admit only such persons whether firefighters or otherwise to such building or buildings as they may deem necessary to superintend and direct the removal and preservation of all endangered property. The chiefs are invested with all the powers of a police officer of the borough while answering, attending or returning from alarms of fire that they may and shall preserve the peace and protect private and public property. The chief shall appoint for a term concurrent with his or her, subject to the approval of the council, such active members of the fire department as he or she may think necessary as fire police, who shall upon taking the oath of office be vested with all the powers of police officers while going to, attending or returning from any alarms of fire, drills, tests or other details subject to the direction of the chief or other persons in command of the fire department.

C. Suspension of Members. The chief shall have the power to suspend from duty any member of the fire department for disobedience of orders of any officer in command when on duty. All appeals from his or her decision shall be made in writing to the council at a regular meeting, who may appoint a time to publicly hear the appeal and affirm, reverse or change the decision by a majority vote of all the members of the council.

D. Watchers. The chief shall have the power to call on the captain or person in charge of any company or companies for such men as he or she may deem necessary to act as watchers after a fire is under control and the rest of the department returned to its quarters; and the captains in control of several companies shall thereupon designate the members of their companies to perform such duty. The watchers shall be paid such compensation as the council may fix annually for each hour they are on duty upon presentation to the council of proper borough vouchers approved by the chief of the department.

E. Absence or Incapacity of Chief. On alarm, in case of the absence or incapacity of the chief, the command of the department and all of the duties of the chief shall devolve to the first and second assistant chiefs of the fire department and upon their absence or incapacity, upon the first approving active ex-chief of the fire department who shall be present upon the required occasion as herein provided and such ex-chief shall continue until the arrival of the chief, the first assistant or the second assistant chiefs of the fire department.

F. The chief shall develop and promulgate standard operating guidelines for the good of the department, and all members shall be subject thereto.

G. Liaison to Governing Body. The chief shall act as the liaison to the mayor and council on all matters pertaining to fire operations, fire equipment and administration of fire operations. (Prior code § 3-5)

(Ord. No. 2008/18, 9-15-08)