[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Bayfield 4-1-1992
(§§ 5-2-1, 5-2-3 and 5-2-5 of the 1992 Code of Ordinances).
Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Fire Department established. The Bayfield Volunteer Fire
Department shall be responsible for the program of fire defense for the citizens
and property within the City of Bayfield. The duty of said Department shall
be that of fire fighting and the prevention of fires in the City of Bayfield
and other units of government contracting for the service of the Department.
B.
Goals of the fire defense program.
(1)
The primary objective of the fire defense program is
to serve all citizens, without prejudice or favoritism, by safeguarding, collectively
and individually, their lives against the effects of fires and explosions.
(2)
The second objective of the fire defense program is to
safeguard the general economy and welfare of the community by preventing major
conflagrations and the destruction by fire of industries and businesses.
(3)
The third objective of the fire defense program is to
protect the property of all citizens against the effects of fire and explosions.
All property deserves equal protection, regardless of location or monetary
value.
C.
Department to adopt bylaws. The Bayfield Volunteer Fire
Department shall adopt bylaws for the control, management and government and
for the regulation of business and proceedings of the Department, which bylaws
shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the Department members. Amendments
shall be adopted in the same manner.
A.
Police authority at fires.
(1)
The Fire Chief and assistants or officers in command
at any fire are hereby vested with full and complete police authority at fires.
Any officer of the Department may cause the arrest of any person failing to
give the right-of-way to the Fire Department in responding to a fire.
(2)
The Fire Chief may prescribe certain limits in the vicinity
of any fire within which no persons, excepting firemen and policemen and those
admitted by order of any officer of the Department, shall be permitted to
come.
(3)
The Chief shall have the power to cause the removal of
any property whenever it shall become necessary for the preservation of such
property from fire or to prevent the spreading of fire or to protect the adjoining
property, and during the progress of any fire he shall have the power to cause
the removal of all wires or other facilities and the turning off of all electricity
or other services where the same impedes the work of the Department during
the progress of a fire.
B.
Fire inspection duties.
(1)
The Fire Chief, or his designee, shall be the Fire Inspector
of the City of Bayfield and shall have the power to appoint one or more deputy
Fire Inspectors and shall perform all duties required of the Fire Inspectors
by the laws of the State and rules of the Department of Commerce, particularly
§ 101.14, Wis. Stats.
(2)
While acting as Fire Inspector pursuant to § 101.14(2),
Wis. Stats., the Fire Chief, or any officer of the Fire Department designated
by the Fire Chief, shall have the right and authority to enter any building
or upon any premises in the City of Bayfield at all reasonable hours for the
purpose of making inspections or investigations which, under the provisions
of the Code of the City of Bayfield, he may deem necessary. Should the Fire
Inspector find that any provisions of this Code relating to fire hazards and
prevention of fires are being violated, or that a fire hazard exists which
should be eliminated, it shall be his duty to give such directions for the
abatement of such conditions as he shall deem necessary and, if such directions
be not complied with, to report such noncompliance to the Common Council for
further action.
(3)
The Chief of the Fire Department is required, by himself
or by officers or members of the Fire Department designated by him as fire
inspectors, to inspect all buildings, premises and public thoroughfares, except
the interiors of private dwellings, for the purpose of ascertaining and causing
to be corrected any conditions liable to cause fire, or any violations of
any law or ordinance relating to the fire hazard or to the prevention of fires.
Such inspections shall be made at least once in six months in all of the territory
served by the Fire Department and oftener as the Chief of the Fire Department
orders. Each six-month period shall begin on January 1 and July 1 of each
year.
(4)
Written reports of inspections shall be made and kept
on file in the office of the Chief of the Fire Department in the manner and
form required by the Department of Commerce. A copy of such reports shall
be filed with the City Clerk.
A.
Entering adjacent property. It shall be lawful for any
fireman while acting under the direction of the Fire Chief or any other officer
in command to enter upon the premises adjacent to or in the vicinity of a
building or other property then on fire for the purpose of extinguishing such
fire and in case any person shall hinder, resist or obstruct any fireman in
the discharge of his duty as is hereinbefore provided, the person so offending
shall be deemed guilty of resisting firemen in the discharge of their duty.
B.
Destruction of property to prevent the spread of fire.
During the progress of any fire, the Fire Chief or his assistant shall have
the power to order the removal or destruction of any property necessary to
prevent the further spread of fire; provided that it is inevitable that, unless
such property is removed, other property is in danger of being destroyed by
fire.
