A.
Organization. The Onalaska Fire Department shall consist
of a Fire Chief and such other officers and firefighters as from time
to time may be appointed pursuant to the provisions of national standards,
Wisconsin Statutes and regulations, the ordinances and resolutions
of the Common Council, and rules and regulations of the Police and
Fire Commission.
A.
No person shall impede the progress of a fire engine, fire truck
or other fire apparatus of the Onalaska Fire Department along the
streets or alleys of the City at the time of an emergency or when
the Fire Department is using such streets or alleys in response to
an emergency or for training.
A.
Police authority at fires.
1.
The Fire Chief, assistants and officers in command at any emergency
are hereby vested with full and complete police authority at emergencies.
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 an
emergency.
2.
The Fire Chief may prescribe certain limits in the vicinity of any
emergency within which no persons, excepting firefighters and police
officers and those admitted by order of any officer of the Department,
shall be permitted to come.
3.
The Fire Chief shall have the power to cause the removal of any property
whenever it shall become necessary for the preservation of such property
from an emergency or to prevent the spreading of fire or to protect
the adjoining property, and during the progress of any fire, the Fire
Chief 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 an emergency.
B.
Fire inspection duties.
1.
The Fire Chief shall be the Chief Fire Inspector of the City of Onalaska
and shall have the power to appoint one or more Fire Inspectors, each
of whom shall perform all duties required of the Fire Inspectors by
the laws of the state and rules of the Department of Safety and Professional
Services, particularly § 101.14, Wis. Stats.
2.
While acting as Fire Inspector pursuant to § 101.14(2),
Wis. Stats., the Fire Chief, or any designee, shall have the right
and authority to enter any building or upon any premises in the City
of Onalaska at all reasonable hours for the purpose of making inspections
or investigations which, under the provisions of this Code of Ordinances,
they 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 their duty to give such directions for the abatement of
such conditions as they shall deem necessary and, if such directions
are not complied with, to report such noncompliance to the Fire Chief
for further action.
3.
The Fire Chief or any designees are required, 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. 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 Fire Chief in the manner and form required by the
Department of Professional and Safety Services.
A.
Driving over fire hose. No person shall willfully injure
in any manner any hose, hydrant or fire apparatus belonging to the
City, 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 emergency, without the consent of
the Fire Department official in command.
B.
No parking near fire. It shall be unlawful for any person,
in case of fire, to drive or park any vehicle within one block from
the place of fire or bypass the police/fire apparatus without the
consent and authority of the Fire Chief or any police officer.
C.
Utilities near hydrants. It shall be unlawful for any
person, firm, business or corporation to install any aboveground utilities
or any portion of said utilities within eight feet of any fire hydrant.
D.
Plantings, mailboxes and other items near hydrants. It
shall be unlawful for any person, firm, business, or corporation to
place any planting, mailboxes or other items within eight feet of
any fire hydrant at any time.
A.
Entering adjacent property. It shall be lawful for any
firefighter, 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 firefighter in the discharge
of their duty, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of resisting
firefighters 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 their 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.
A.
Every person who shall be present at an emergency shall be subject
to the orders of the Fire Chief or officer in command and may be required
to render assistance in removing or guarding property. Such officer
shall have the power to cause the arrest of any person or persons
refusing to obey said orders.
A.
No person shall occupy any portion of such streets or alleys with
a motorized or other vehicle between such fire engine or fire truck
or other fire apparatus or any hydrant to which a fire hose may be,
or may be about to be, attached.
