[Amended 7-20-1983 by Ord. No. 1983-9]
No person shall be eligible for the office of
Chief or Assistant Chief from each company who has not resided and
served as an active fireman in the Township of Lopatcong for two years
next preceding his election; provided, however, that all past officers
of the Fire Department shall be eligible for election to the office
of Chief or Assistant Chief.
A.
It shall be the duty of the Chief to examine, at least
once in each month, all fire apparatus and all buildings in use for
the protection of the same and report the condition thereof to the
Township Council at its next regular meeting thereafter, together
with the number of fires attended by him or by the Assistant Chief
from each company, with the cause of such fires, if any cause should
be determined, and with such other information as he may deem proper.
[Amended 7-20-1983 by Ord. No. 1983-9; 2-19-1992 by Ord. No.
1992-02]
B.
He shall, in all cases of fire threatening injury
to or destruction of property, take prompt and effectual measures
and use the means of the Department to extinguish the fire; he shall
at all times have sole and absolute control and command over the fire
apparatus and over the members of the Fire Department and over all
other fire apparatus aiding and assisting the Department in the event
of fire.
[Amended 7-20-1983 by No. 1983-9]
In the absence of the Chief, his command shall
devolve upon, and his duties shall be performed by, the Assistant
Chief from each company or, in the absence of both, by the first arriving
officer in the district or locality of the fire.
A.
The Chief and Assistant Chief from each company shall
attend all fires which may occur within the township limits (or elsewhere
where necessary and called upon), and each, in the order of seniority
of position, is hereby authorized and empowered to take charge of
any burning building or buildings and any other building likely to
be burned or threatened with burning and to admit only such and so
many persons (not firemen) to said building as they or either of them
may deem necessary to aid in the extinguishment of the fire and preservation
of property.
[Amended 7-20-1983 by Ord. No. 1983-9]
B.
The officers, and each of them, are hereby vested
with all the powers, for the time being, of police officers of the
township and also while proceeding to, attending upon and returning
from a fire, in answer to an alarm of fire, to the end that they may
and shall preserve the peace and protect all property, both public
and private.
[Amended 7-20-1983 by Ord. No. 1983-9]
The Chief and Assistant Chief from each company
shall wear, when on duty, hats or helmets upon which shall be clearly
shown the name of their respective office.
