[Adopted 5-21-1896 by Ord. No. 16]
[Amended 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 315]
The Fire Department of the Borough of Riverton
shall consist of one Fire Chief and one Assistant Fire Chief, who
shall be active members of the Fire Department, and as many firemen
as now are or may hereafter become lawful members of the fire companies
in said borough. No person shall be eligible to the office of Fire
Chief unless he shall have served as an active fireman in the Borough
of Riverton for at least one year.
[Amended 10-9-58 by Ord. No. 248; 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 315]
Each and every fire company within the Fire
Department shall, at a regular stated or special meeting, elect five
delegates to represent the said companies, and the delegates so chosen
shall meet every two years in convention at the house of the Riverton
Fire Company, or at such other places as may be suitable or satisfactory
to the members thereof, at 8:00 p.m. of the third Tuesday in December
in the even years of the calendar (such as 1958, 1960, etc.), which
convention, after being duly organized, shall proceed to elect by
ballot a Fire Chief and an Assistant Fire Chief, and a majority of
all the delegates shall constitute a quorum. Balloting for each officer
shall be separate, each delegate casting one vote, and the person
receiving a majority of all the votes cast for the said offices shall
be declared to be elected. It shall be the duty of the President and
the Secretary of the said convention, as soon after the adjournment
as practicable, to furnish certificates of election to the persons
elected, and to transmit a written report of the proceedings of the
convention to the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Riverton.
[Amended 10-9-58 by Ord. No. 248; 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 315]
The Chief and Assistant Chief shall enter upon
the duties of their respective offices at 12:00 noon on the first
day of January following their election and shall hold office for
two years, having first taken and subscribed before the Mayor or the
Judge of the borough an oath or affirmation to faithfully perform
the duties appertaining to their respective offices, and filed the
same with the Borough Clerk.
[Amended 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 315]
The Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief, together
with the foreman and assistant foreman of the fire companies in the
Fire Department, shall constitute and be known as the "Board of Engineers,"
of which the Fire Chief shall be President. The Board of Engineers
shall meet at least once in every three months and at such other times
as the Chief or a majority of the Board shall call a meeting, and
a majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum to do business.
All questions of dispute or difficulty that may arise between the
different companies of the Fire Department, or between the Chief and
any company, shall be brought before the Board of Engineers, who shall
proceed to investigate the case, and after deliberation shall decide
between the parties, which decision when given shall be binding upon
the parties concerned and subject to no appeal. All propositions for
the improvement, extension or alteration of the Fire Department that
the Chief may desire to recommend to the said Mayor and Council shall
first be approved by the Board of Engineers.
[Amended 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 315]
A.
The Fire Chief shall:
(1)
Visit each of the fire companies in the Fire Department
once every three months, examine the condition of their apparatus
and the buildings used for the housing of the same, keep a record
of such places and make a detailed report to the Mayor and Council
at its regular meeting in May, setting forth the condition of the
Fire Department.
(2)
Make a report to the Mayor and Council, whenever requested
by it, of any matter that it may desire information upon connected
with the Fire Department.
(3)
Provide a book in which he shall keep a record of
his various official acts and also a record and history of each fire
with the known or probable cause of said fire.
(4)
In all cases of fire threatening danger or destruction
of property within the borough, take prompt and efficient measures
and use all the means of the Fire Department to extinguish the same.
(5)
Have sole and absolute control and command, at such
time and on all occasions of alarms of fire, over all the fire apparatus
and all the members of the Fire Department and over all other persons
aiding and assisting the Fire Department in cases of actual fires.
Within 24 hours after the return of the fire apparatus from the fire
to the place or places where the same are kept and housed, cause the
said apparatus and hose connected therewith to be carefully inspected
and see that it has been properly cleaned, reeled and placed in the
position where it is kept and housed, and to that end, it is hereby
enjoined upon the Assistant Chief and the foremen of the respective
fire companies of said borough to help, aid and assist him in so doing.
(6)
Cause order to be observed in the Fire Department
in going to, working at and returning from fires.
(7)
Have the power to suspend from duty any company or
any member of any company for disobedience of his orders when on duty,
and all appeals from his decision shall be made in writing to the
Board of Engineers at the next regular meeting.
B.
In the absence of the Chief, from duty for any cause
at any time, the Assistant Chief shall immediately assume the command
of the Fire Department and be respected and obeyed accordingly.
[Amended 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 315]
In case a vacancy should occur in the office
of Fire Chief or in the office of Assistant Fire Chief, the Board
of Engineers shall, at their next regular meeting or at a meeting
to be called for that purpose, proceed to fill by ballot such vacant
position, and in case of a vacancy in the office of the Chief, the
Assistant Chief shall assume the duties of the office of Chief until
such a vacancy is filled.
[Amended 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 315]
No fire company shall leave the borough with
its apparatus for the purpose of going to a fire or for any other
purpose without permission of the Fire Chief; and no person or persons
in charge of the fire apparatus shall permit the same to be used at
any time at a trial of skill nor for any other purpose, except as
already provided for by this Article, without first obtaining the
written consent of the Chief or, in his absence, of the Assistant
Chief.
[Amended 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 315]
Each and every fire company shall cause to be
worn by its members during the time of fire, if such members are not
equipped in the uniform of their company, the uniform badge made of
metal with the name of the Fire Department thereon, and said badge
shall be the property of the company. Every person not a member of
the Fire Department except the owner or owners of the premises, who
shall at any time or during the time of fire wear such badge or similar
badge shall, upon conviction thereof before the Municipal Judge of
said borough, forfeit and pay a fine of $25, with costs. It shall
be the duty of each fire company's Secretary to keep a register of
the number of the company with the corresponding number of its badges,
and to furnish the Chief with a copy of the same and report all changes
in the list of members from any cause. The Chief and Assistant Chief
shall be designated by a metallic badge containing the appropriate
designation.
A.
There shall hereafter be a salvage corps as a part
of the Fire Department composed of 12 active firemen to be appointed
annually by the Chief of the Fire Department, an equal number of whom
shall be appointed from each of the fire companies, and the said Chief
shall appoint one of the 12 a Captain and one other as Lieutenant
of said corps.
B.
The corps shall, at the time of fire, have charge
of the grounds in the immediate vicinity of the fire, and they are
empowered and authorized to enclose with rope or other means, or to
take possession of the same and keep out of and from said grounds
all persons, except firemen as aforesaid and persons interested in
the premises so enclosed.
C.
It shall be the duty of said salvage corps at the
time of any fire to take charge of and protect all goods and chattels
that may be moved or carried out of any place on account of fire and
to see that the same are returned to the proper persons.
D.
For the purpose of carrying out the interest and provisions
of this Article, the members of the said salvage corps shall be sworn
in by the Mayor or the Municipal Judge, said oath or affirmation to
be filed with the Borough Clerk, and at the time of fire shall be
vested with full police powers upon the grounds in the immediate vicinity
thereof, provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent and
hinder any owner or bailee of any property in danger of fire from
removing the same from such place or places as he may see fit.
[Amended 11-14-1974 by Ord. No. 315]
None of the officers or persons mentioned in
this Article shall receive any compensation for his services under
this Article.
