[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Monessen as
indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 12-22-1964 by Ord. No. 604]
[Amended 1-16-1965 by Ord. No. 611; 12-19-2007
by Ord. No. 6-2007]
A fire department, recognized as the Bureau of Fire, is hereby established
for the City of Monessen, composed of the following recognized fire companies:
[Amended 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
The Bureau of Fire shall be under the general supervision and control
of the City Council and under the particular supervision and control of the
Department of Public Safety.
[Amended 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
The chief executive officer of the Bureau of Fire shall be the Municipal
Fire Chief, who shall be appointed by the City Council and shall serve for
an indefinite term, at the pleasure of the City Council. He shall receive
such salary, payable from the general funds of the City, as the City Council
shall from time to time determine. Before entering upon any of the duties
of his office, the Municipal Fire Chief shall take an oath before the City
Clerk or other officer of the City who shall have authority to administer
oaths.
[Added 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
The Director of Public Safety shall recommend to City Council candidates
for the position of Municipal Fire Chief. A candidate must have a minimum
of 10 years' experience as a firefighter and a minimum of five years' experience
as a fire officer (Chief, Assistant Chief or Captain).
[Amended 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
A.
The Municipal Fire Chief shall have full control of the Bureau
of Fire and the fire companies which compose it at any and all times when
the Bureau of Fire or any recognized fire company belonging thereto, is engaged
in any of the following activities:
B.
The Municipal Fire Chief shall be responsible for:
C.
At the end of each calendar month, the Municipal Fire Chief shall
report to the Director of Public Safety the number of incidents, dates and
times of incidents, incident numbers, types of incidents, and any losses of
life or injuries to persons.
[Amended 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
A.
At the time and location of an incident, the Municipal Fire Chief
shall have the supreme and absolute command of any and all fire companies
in action, and his subordinate officers shall receive and obey all commands
and orders issued by him, provided that, at any time the Bureau of Fire or
any of its recognized fire companies is serving beyond City boundaries following
a call for assistance from any political subdivision served by its own fire
department or fire company and that other fire department or fire company
is also on duty, the Municipal Fire Chief may direct that the recognized fire
companies of the Bureau and their members shall be subject to the control
and direction of the chief of the fire department or fire company of the political
subdivision in which such fire is located.
B.
The Municipal Fire Chief is authorized to call upon and use the
Police Department of the City or its members to keep order among persons in
the vicinity, or to disperse them.
C.
Persons who interfere with or impede the operations of the Bureau
of Fire in the discharge of its duties or who are considered to be in a position
of danger may be ordered to leave the area. Any person who refuses to obey
an order to disperse, move or cease interference with Bureau activities shall,
upon conviction before a judicial officer, be guilty of a summary offense
and sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $300 and costs of prosecution.
Each of the recognized fire companies shall have the authority to prescribe
and adopt bylaws for its own regulation and government, but no such bylaws
or amendments thereto shall become effective without the approval of the City
Council.
[Amended 1-16-1965 by Ord. No. 611; 4-14-1982
by Ord. No. 1-1982]
The officers of each of the recognized fire companies shall be as prescribed
in the bylaws of such company. The individuals to hold such office shall be
chosen in the manner and for the term specified by the applicable bylaws.
At the discretion of City Council, any officers may be paid a fixed annual
compensation or salary from City funds, provided that the bylaws of each recognized
fire company shall provide for one officer who shall be designated Chief of
such company and one or more Assistant Chiefs. Such Company Fire Chiefs, in
order of seniority in such office, shall serve as Assistant Municipal Fire
Chief, and in the absence of the Municipal Fire Chief, such Senior Fire Chief
shall serve as Acting Municipal Fire Chief and shall perform all the duties
and may exercise all the authority vested by this chapter in the Municipal
Fire Chief. If any Company Fire Chief shall be designated by the City Council
as the Municipal Fire Chief, the Company Fire Chiefs of the other recognized
fire companies, in order of seniority, shall serve as Assistant Municipal
Fire Chiefs.
[Added 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
At an incident, the Municipal Fire Chief may delegate, to either Company
Fire Chief or, in their absence, one of the Assistant Chiefs or, in their
absence, one of the Captains, the responsibility to perform any duty or exercise
any power herein vested in the Municipal Fire Chief at that particular incident.
[Amended 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
At any time other than at an incident, the Municipal Fire Chief may
delegate to any or all of the Company Fire Chiefs the responsibility to perform
any duty or exercise any power herein vested in the Municipal Fire Chief only
over and within the particular fire company of which such person is the Chief.
[Added 12-19-2007 by Ord. No. 6-2007]
The Municipal Fire Chief shall provide to City Council a copy of the
standard operating guidelines of the Bureau of Fire and any changes made to
said guidelines. The Municipal Fire Chief shall have the authority and discretion
to discipline any firefighter who does not follow the standard operating guidelines
of the Bureau of Fire. The Municipal Fire Chief shall document any disciplinary
action taken and report the action taken to the Director of Public Safety.
[Adopted 4-19-2000 by Ord. No. 2-2000]
Under the direction of the Municipal Fire Chief, Fire Companies 1 and
2, situate within the City of Monessen, are hereby granted authority to establish
and maintain a Junior Firefighter Program.
The Municipal Fire Chief of the City of Monessen shall have necessary
authority to establish rules, regulations and controls for the establishment
and regulation of the program. The rules and regulations he establishes shall
be maintained, and all records of each individual Junior Firefighter shall
be subject to the Municipal Fire Chief's inspection as the Municipal Fire
Chief shall from time to time require.
At bare minimum, the rules and regulations establishing and operating
the program shall require the applicants parents' and natural guardians'
consent, coverage by the respective fire companies' insurance carriers,
compliance with all state standards and state laws governing child labor and
each applicant's agreement to be subject to the rules and regulations
set by the Municipal Fire Chief and any amendments thereto.
The authority granted to the Municipal Fire Chief under this article
may not be assigned, and the program, under his supervision, may be suspended,
modified, altered or terminated and any Junior Firefighter who violates the
terms and conditions as set forth by the Municipal Fire Chief may otherwise
be subject to such discipline as the Municipal Fire Chief shall decide. Such
discipline may include warnings, reprimands, temporary suspensions or full
dismissal from the Firefighter Program.
