Borough of Narberth, PA Fire Department

The Fire Department of Narberth shall consist of the Narberth Fire Company and such additional companies as may hereafter be organized and as the Council may, from time to time, by ordinance or resolution, receive into the Department.

§ 37-2 Officers; qualifications.

The officers of the Fire Department of Narberth shall consist of a Chief, a Deputy Chief and Assistant Chiefs. Each of these officers shall be over 25 years of age and an active member of at least three years' standing in one of the companies of the Department.

§ 37-3 Appointment of officers.

[Amended 4-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1032]

The Fire Department of Narberth shall, in such manner as it may select, elect and submit to the Council, before the Council's first meeting in January of each even-numbered year or as soon thereafter as possible, a candidate for the office of Chief of the Fire Department, who shall also be the Fire Marshal, for confirmation by the Council. If confirmed, the candidate shall be appointed for a two-year term and may be removable for cause, only after trial, by the Council.

The Deputy Chief of the Department shall be appointed by the Chief and shall be under the Chief's direct control.

§ 37-4 Suspension and replacement of officers.

The Council shall have the right at any time to suspend or expel the Chief or the Deputy Chief from office for such cause as the Council may deem sufficient. In the event of the death, removal, resignation or failure of confirmation of the Chief by the Council, the Fire Department shall be notified to present the name of another candidate for confirmation within 30 days.

§ 37-5 Oath of office; duties and responsibilities.

[Amended 4-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1032]

Before assuming office, the Chief and Deputy Chief shall take and subscribe the oath required of Borough officers. When on duty, they shall wear a badge to clearly designate their office and be as fully equipped as circumstances permit. At fires, they shall be ex officio members of the police force, with all the powers of the Borough police.

The Chief shall have complete control of the Fire Department at all fires, directing and superintending the operations of the Department as will best protect property from destruction by fire or by unnecessary use of water and/or chemicals. The Chief shall prescribe rules for the regulation of the companies, their members and apparatus at drills and at fires going to and returning therefrom and in such other respects as shall bear upon their discipline and efficiency. The Chief shall have the power at fires to rope off streets when deemed necessary and to exclude the public from the immediate vicinity of the fire or place of danger, with authority to call upon the police for assistance in this work. The Chief shall investigate all fires and keep a correct record thereof, which record shall be submitted monthly to the Borough Council and shall give the date of each fire, location thereof, how the alarm was received, the time of the alarm, the time of the Department's relief from service, a description of the property burned, detailed methods of extinguishing the fire, loss and insurance details, the name of the owner or tenant and the cause of fire, if obtainable.

The Chief will inspect or the Chief may designate members of the Department to inspect, from time to time, all buildings and premises or where accumulations of combustible material are liable to exist and to order such changes or removals as in their opinion are necessary to safety from fire. For the purpose of this inspection, they are hereby empowered to enter any and all buildings and premises at any reasonable hour within the Borough limits.

It shall be the duty of the Chief to call out for practice drills, whenever the Chief deems it necessary, any or all companies for such drills when and where the Chief may think advisable, but each company shall be drilled and trained not less than once each month. These drills and training will be so arranged that they will include the proper and efficient handling of all appliances, apparatus and equipment, plus procedures for forcible entry, salvage work, lifesaving and modern methods of extinguishment.

The Deputy Chief and Assistant Chiefs shall, under the Chief's direction, and in the case of the Chief's absence from or late arrival at a fire, assume and perform such duties and be invested with the same power and authority as the Chief until the Chief's arrival.

§ 37-6 Obedience to orders of officers.

All the companies of the Fire Department at Narberth and every member of said companies on duty at fires shall render implicit obediences to the orders of the Chief, Deputy Chief or other officer in charge.

§ 37-7 Suspension or dismissal of members.

[Amended 4-21-2021 by Ord. No. 1032]

It shall be the duty of the Chief or, in the Chief’s absence, the Deputy Chief, to suspend or dismiss any member of the Department who refuses to obey the Chief’s orders or for insubordination, improper conduct or violation of rules, either at a fire or company drills. Any member suspended or dismissed by the Chief may appeal from such decision to the Narberth Fire Company, Narberth, Pennsylvania, through its proper designated officers at its next meeting.

§ 37-8 Annual appropriations.

It shall and may be lawful for the Council to appropriate annually to the company or companies comprising the-Fire Department of the Borough of Narberth, Pennsylvania, such sums as in the opinion of the Council may be right and proper.