[Adopted 10-19-1920[1]; amended in its entirety 4-2-2007 by Ord. No. 1221, approved 4-2-2007]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance appeared in Ch. VIII, Part 2A, of the 1953 Code of Ordinances.
A. 
For the purposes of this Code, the Fire Department of the Borough of Middletown shall be the Middletown Volunteer Fire Department, incorporated October 28, 2004 (hereinafter "MVFD").
B. 
The Borough of Middletown acknowledges the significant and important service provided to the Borough by the Liberty Steam Fire Co., Rescue Hose Co., and Union Hose Co., the prior volunteer fire companies whose members have banded together to form MVFD. These companies shall continue to be recognized as community organizations but shall no longer provide fire protection services to the Borough of Middletown or any other municipality.
The Fire Department shall be under the coordination and direction of an officer of the Borough to be styled "Chief of the Fire Department," who shall report to the Borough Manager, and two subordinate positions: Deputy Chief, who shall be second in command in the absence of the Chief; and Assistant Chief, who shall be third in command in the absence of the Chief. The Deputy Chief and Assistant Chief shall report to the Chief of the Fire Department.
A. 
The Chief, Deputy Chief, and Assistant Chief shall first be elected in accordance with the requirements of the bylaws of the MVFD, who then shall submit said names for appointment by the Borough Manager, with the consent of the Borough Council.
B. 
Other line officers may be selected by the members of the MVFD.
To be eligible to hold the office of Chief, Deputy Chief, or Assistant Chief of the Fire Department, an individual must:
A. 
Have attained the age of 26 years; and
B. 
Be an active experienced firefighter, in good standing with MVFD for a period of at least five years; and
C. 
Be a resident of the Borough of Royalton or the Borough of Middletown.
A. 
The Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, and Assistant Chief shall serve for a period of 36 months from the date of appointment. However, should said officer no longer serve in a similar capacity for MVFD, the Borough appointment shall automatically terminate.
B. 
The Borough Manager reserves the right to remove the Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, and Assistant Chief from office, subject to the provisions of § 23-6 herein.
C. 
Vacancies in offices created in § 23-3A shall be filled by the following procedure:
(1) 
MVFD shall hold an election pursuant to its internal procedures;
(2) 
The names of those elected by MVFD shall be submitted to the Borough Manager;
(3) 
The Borough Manager shall appoint said individuals to fill the vacancies; and
(4) 
The Borough Council shall ratify the Borough Manager's appointment.
D. 
The Borough Manager shall appoint said individuals elected by MVFD within 10 days of election or may, at his discretion, disqualify the elected Chief. Should the Borough Manager reject the elected Chief, the elected Chief must resign as Chief of MVFD and a new election must be held by MVFD.
E. 
The Borough Council shall ratify the Borough Manager's appointment at each organizational meeting of Council. Should Council fail to ratify the appointment, the previously appointed, seated Chief shall continue to serve until the next regularly scheduled meeting of Borough Council, when the Borough Manager must propose an alternate appointee.
F. 
In the event the Fire Chief dies, resigns or is removed as Fire Chief of the Fire Department, the Deputy Chief shall assume and exercise the function of Fire Chief until the vacancy created is filled.
Before assuming their respective duties, the officers of the organized Fire Department shall be duly sworn before the Mayor to faithfully perform all the duties appertaining to the office which they may hold. The Fire Chief, Deputy Chief, and Assistant Chief elected pursuant to the bylaws of the MVFD cannot be denied appointment nor removed from appointment as Chiefs of the Borough unless there is just cause. Just cause shall include dishonesty on any official matter; gross incompetence; willful misconduct; breach of a fiduciary duty; intentional failure to perform stated duties; willful violation of any federal, state or local law (other than traffic violations or similar summary offenses); failure to pay all federal, state or local taxes; willful disregard of an adopted Borough policy; horseplay or similar unprofessional behavior that results in any injury or damage to property with a value in excess of $100; conviction of any felony; conviction of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude; misappropriation of taxpayer funds; mental or physical disability impairing the performance of official duties of office; or material breach of any provision of this chapter. The determination of whether just cause exists shall be made by the Borough Manager in his sole discretion.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 23-8, Fire police, was repealed 3-5-2019 by Ord. No. 1359, approved 3-5-2019.
[Amended 3-5-2019 by Ord. No. 1359, approved 3-5-2019]
The Fire Chief or, in his absence, the Deputy Chief or, in his absence, the Assistant Chief, and members of the mutual aid fire police from surrounding communities lawfully dispatched to the Borough, while on active public duty, together with the officers of the Borough police force, are hereby authorized to exclude from interference with the functions of the MVFD all persons not members of the MVFD, except owners of property in the immediate neighborhood and persons having a pecuniary interest therein or their agents. The personnel authorized herein shall take into custody any and all persons persisting in such unauthorized interference. Those taken into custody, upon conviction of an offense related to the unauthorized interference, shall forfeit and pay a penalty of not more than $1,000 and costs of prosecution or, in default of payment thereof, may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 30 days.
A. 
Fire Chief. The Fire Chief shall at all times have overall oversight of the personnel and equipment of the Fire Department. In the event of a fire, rescue, or other response or official function, the Chief shall be in control of all personnel and equipment and shall give general directions and provide the overall incident command in accordance with the Incident Command System (ICS)/National Incident Management System (NIMS) and recognized by the Dauphin County Firemen's Association. The Chief shall also have free access at all times to all fire stations and fire equipment for inspection and shall inspect the stations and equipment and shall report to the Borough Council the condition of the stations and equipment at least every year (and more frequently if directed by the Borough Council); shall prepare and provide an annual report to Borough Council at the close of each year; shall report to the Borough Manager; shall approve any use of fire police for nonemergency service; shall present recommendations to Borough Council regarding Fire Department activities or issues affecting the operation of the Fire Department; shall, within budgetary limits, provide for the maintenance of all Borough-owned vehicles and equipment used for emergency services, including all portable equipment and fire/rescue apparatus; shall coordinate all major repairs and contract maintenance with the Borough Manager; shall provide for and supervise training for members of the Fire Department; and shall perform other duties as may be ordinarily required of the position.
B. 
Deputy Fire Chief. The Deputy Chief shall aid the Fire Chief in the performance of his duties, perform other duties as assigned by the Chief and, in the absence of the Chief or in the event of the inability of the Fire Chief to perform his duties, shall assume charge of the Fire Department and act as Fire Chief.
C. 
Assistant Fire Chief. The Assistant Chief shall aid the Fire Chief and Deputy Chief in the performance of their duties, perform other duties as assigned by the Chief or Deputy Chief and, in the absence of the Chief or Deputy Chief or in the event of their inability to perform their duties, shall assume charge of the Fire Department and act as Fire Chief.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 23-10.1, Budget and finance, was repealed 5-2-2023 by Ord. No. 1405, approved 5-2-2023.
The Fire Chief shall be vested with the power to make proper rules and regulations for the operation of the Department, while in the performance of fire services. The Middletown Volunteer Fire Department shall maintain standard operating procedures for all instances.
For the purposes of proper management of the Fire Department, all grievances and matters of dispute from firefighters or members of MVFD shall be submitted to the MVFD for resolution pursuant to the bylaws of the MVFD. Appeals of any decision of the MVFD may be presented to the Borough Manager for review. Orders given during an emergency incident cannot be disputed or grieved.
The Fire Department, through its proper officers, shall have the right to test the equipment, etc., by connecting to a fireplug from time to time; but before connecting to a plug for the purpose of breaking in a driver, testing equipment or for other fire company uses, it shall be the duty of the Fire Department, through its proper officer or officers, to notify the Supervisor of the Utility Maintenance/Operations Department a reasonable length of time in advance of MVFD's intention so as to not impact the delivery of water within the Borough.
The Fire Department of the Borough of Middletown shall also include among its officers, who shall likewise take the oath before the Mayor specified in § 23-6 of this article, a Fire Marshal, Deputy Fire Marshal, and Assistant Fire Marshal, for whom provision is made in § 155-13 of Chapter 155, Fire Prevention.