[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Arcadia 12-7-1956 by Ord. No.
109. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fires and fire prevention — See Ch. 214.
A.
The members of the volunteer fire company are hereby officially recognized
as the Fire Department of the City of Arcadia and the duty of firefighting
and the prevention of fires in the City of Arcadia is delegated to
such Department. Its organization and internal regulation shall be
governed by the provisions of this chapter and by such bylaws adopted
by the Department as are approved by the Common Council, except as
is otherwise provided by law and ordinance.
B.
The Arcadia Fire Department is hereby authorized and directed to
adopt bylaws for the control, management and government and for the
regulation of business and proceedings of the Department, which bylaws,
after adoption by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Department,
shall not become effective and operative until presented to and approved
by the Common Council. Amendments shall be adopted in the same manner.
C.
The Common Council shall appropriate funds to provide for operation
and for such apparatus and equipment for the use of the Fire Department
as it may deem expedient and necessary to maintain efficiency and
properly protect life and property from fire.
D.
The officers and members of the Fire Department shall receive as
compensation for their services such sums as may be set forth in the
bylaws, which said sums shall be paid from the following funds:
(1)
The City shall pay to said Department the sum of $500 before the
first day of February in each year.
(2)
In addition to the amount set forth in Subsection D(1) above, the City shall pay to such Fire Department $50 for each fire attended by such Department in adjoining municipalities and outside the City limits.
(3)
In addition to the foregoing, the City shall pay to the Fire Department
all sums received from the state as the City's two-percent share of
insurance moneys.
(4)
All gifts made directly to said Department from individuals, corporations
or other organizations.
(5)
All sums arising from social activities sponsored by said Department.
The membership, officers, duties of members and powers of officers
shall be set forth in the bylaws of the Fire Department except as
are set forth herein. Any member may be expelled from said Department
by a two-thirds vote of the Council upon a written statement of the
charge signed by the Chief or Assistant Chief and filed with the Council.
Grounds for expulsion are as follows: neglect of duty and insubordination
while training or engaged in firefighting and any violation of state
law, this chapter or the bylaws of said Department. The member shall
be entitled to a hearing before the Council before the Council shall
vote on his expulsion, and written notice of the hearing shall be
given to the member at least 48 hours before the Council shall act
upon his expulsion.
A.
The Chief shall have general supervision of the Department, subject
to this chapter and the bylaws of the Department, and shall be responsible
for the personnel and general efficiency of the Department.
B.
The Chief shall report to the Common Council by a written statement
of charges signed by him the neglect and insubordination of any member
or the violation of state law, this chapter or bylaws of said Department.
C.
Not later than May 1 of each year, the Chief shall file with the
City Clerk-Treasurer a detailed estimate of the appropriations needed
for the conduct of the Department during the ensuing fiscal year.
D.
It shall be the duty of the Chief to submit a written report to the
Common Council not later than May 1 of each year, and at such other
times as he deems desirable, relating to the conditions of the various
pieces of apparatus and appurtenances, the number of fires occurring
since the previous report, the date of the same and loss occasioned
thereby, the number of members of each company, the total number of
active members in the Department, and vacancies occurring in said
Department since the last report. He shall also report upon the drill
and training program of the Department, together with other pertinent
information, including recommendations of such improvements as he
deems proper and necessary for the operation of the Department.
E.
He shall enforce all fire prevention ordinances of this City and
state laws and regulations pertaining to fire prevention and shall
keep citizens informed on fire prevention methods and on the activities
of the Department.
F.
He shall keep a fire record book of every fire to which the Department
was called and shall enter in such book the locality of fire, time
alarm was received, cause of fire, where fire started, cause of delay,
if any, in responding, method of extinguishment and equipment used,
amount of insurance carried on building and contents, estimated fire
loss, time fire was extinguished, names of men responding and general
remarks.
G.
He shall keep an inventory of all apparatus and equipment and an
inventory of all hose showing dates and results of tests on each length,
which shall be individually identified.
H.
He shall perform such other duties as are incumbent on the commanding
officer of the Fire Department.
I.
The Chief of the Fire Department shall hold the office of fire inspector,
with power to appoint one or more deputy fire inspectors, who shall
perform the same duties and have the same powers as the fire inspector.
(1)
It shall be the duty of fire inspectors to inspect quarterly all
buildings, premises and thoroughfares within fire limits of this City
and to inspect semiannually all public buildings and public thoroughfares
within the City limits for the purpose of noting and causing to be
corrected any condition liable to cause fire. The inspector shall
also investigate the storage and handling of explosives and inflammable
liquids within the City.
(2)
Whenever or wherever in the City of Arcadia any inspection by the
Fire Chief or his deputies reveals a fire hazard, the Chief or his
deputies shall serve a notice in writing upon the owner of the property
giving said owner a reasonable time in which to remove the hazard.
In the event that the fire hazard is not removed within the time allowed,
it shall be deemed a nuisance. The Fire Chief or his deputy is authorized
to have the same removed by the City, and the cost of such removal
shall be recovered in an action by the City against the owner of the
property.
(3)
The Chief shall keep a written record of each property inspected
which shall conform to the requirements of the Department of Safety
and Professional Services and shall make the quarterly report of inspections
required by the Department of Safety and Professional Services.[1]
(4)
No person shall deny the Chief or his deputies free access to any
property within the City at any reasonable time for the purpose of
making fire inspections. No person shall hinder or obstruct the fire
inspector in the performance of his duty or refuse to observe any
lawful direction given by him. Any person hindering or obstructing
the fire inspector or refusing to observe any lawful directions given
by him shall be subject to the penalty hereinafter provided.
J.
The Chief shall have control of all apparatus used by the Department
and shall be responsible for its proper maintenance. Emergency repairs
may be authorized by the Chief.
K.
No apparatus shall be used for any purpose except for firefighting
or in training therefor, except pursuant to an agreement approved
by the Common Council after the Chief has given his recommendations
on such use. With the approval of the Chief such apparatus may be
used for emergency purposes other than firefighting. A written report
of all such uses shall be made quarterly to the Common Council.
Whenever it appears that the Chief of the Department is neglectful
and derelict in his duties set forth herein or by state law or in
the bylaws of the Fire Department, the Council will cause notice to
be served on said Chief at least 48 hours before the time set for
hearing, and after hearing all of the evidence he may be discharged
from his duties as Chief and, in addition thereto, may be expelled
from the Department by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Council.
The City employee in charge of the power plant shall give notice
of the fire to members of the Fire Department as follows:
A.
In the City the signal will correspond to the ward in which the fire
is occurring, except that when there is an emergency other than a
fire the signal shall be one long blast of the siren. In other cases
City fires shall be sounded by such employee of the power plant as
follows:
B.
Country fires will be reported by one very long blast of the siren.
C.
The City employee on duty at the power plant shall repeat the signal
at least two or three times in the case where the fire occurs between
the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day.
No person shall wilfully injure in any manner any hose, hydrant
or fire apparatus belonging to the City of Arcadia, and no vehicle
shall be driven over any unprotected hose of the Fire Department when
laid down on any street, private driveway or other place, to be used
at any fire or alarm of fire, without the consent of the official
in command.
No person shall interfere with said Fire Department when at
work or engaged in discipline or drill, take possession of any of
the property or apparatus of said company without permission of the
officers, or meddle, annoy or disturb said company, its property or
discipline.
Every person who shall be present at a fire shall be subject
to the orders of the Fire Chief or officer in command and may be required
to render assistance in fighting the fire or in removing or guarding
the property. Such officer shall have the power to cause the arrest
of any person or persons refusing to obey said orders.
A member of the Fire Department returning the Department vehicle
from the fire to the firehouse shall not use the siren and shall abide
by all speed regulations. The siren is to be used only while going
to the scene of the fire, and the operator shall be liable for a reckless
disregard of the safety of others while driving said Department vehicle
to the scene of the fire.
All approaching vehicles and vehicles preceding the fire truck
must give to such fire truck the right-of-way by immediately pulling
over as far as possible parallel to the right-hand side of the roadway
and by stopping and remaining in such position until said emergency
vehicle has passed, unless otherwise directed by a traffic officer.
No driver of a vehicle other than one on official business shall
follow any fire apparatus in response to a call or alarm closer than
500 feet or drive or park any vehicle within the block where the fire
apparatus has stopped in response to the alarm.
A.
The Chief and assistants or officers in command of 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 violating any
of the sections of this chapter.
B.
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. 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 order the removal or destruction of
any property necessary to prevent the further spread of the fire.
He shall also 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.
[Amended 7-5-1957 by Ord.
No. 113]
Any person, firm or corporation that shall violate any of the
provisions of this chapter shall forfeit not more than $100 and the
costs of prosecution and in default of payment of the forfeiture and
costs of prosecution shall be imprisoned in the county jail until
said forfeiture and the costs of prosecution are paid, but not to
exceed 30 days. Each violation of the provisions of this chapter shall
constitute a separate offense.
