[Amended 4-13-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-03]
The Fire Department is a department within the municipal government of the Borough of Chambersburg. The Chambersburg Fire Department, under the supervision of the Emergency Services Chief, combines volunteers from the volunteer fire companies set forth in § 30-2 and career personnel to provide fire prevention/suppression and emergency medical services. The normal workings of the Department include the use and support of members of the volunteers fire companies, which volunteers are required to meet minimum requirements and administrative guidelines recommended by the Borough Emergency Services Chief and promulgated by the Borough Manager in order to provide emergency services within the Borough. The Fire Department is responsible for providing emergency services within the Borough, with the various companies constituting the Fire Department responding in the order and manner as directed by the Emergency Services Chief and the duly appointed officers of the Department, who shall have such authority as necessary and appropriate to protect life and property at any incident scene.
[Amended 4-13-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-03]
A. 
The volunteers are members of volunteer fire companies that are nonprofit, chartered corporations, associations or organizations, located in the Borough, which provide fire protection or rescue services and which may offer other voluntary emergency services within this Borough. The volunteers offer their services to the voluntary fire companies for personal and charitable reasons.
B. 
The four volunteer fire companies chartered in the Borough and authorized to provide emergency services in the Borough and recognized as official volunteer fire companies of the Borough are:
(1) 
Junior Hose & Truck Co. No. 2;
(2) 
Goodwill Steam Fire Engine and Hose Co. No. 3;
(3) 
Franklin Fire Co. No. 4; and
(4) 
Cumberland Valley Hose Co. No. 5.
C. 
Notwithstanding the Borough's right to establish minimum requirements and administrative guidelines for any volunteer providing emergency services within the Borough, the volunteer fire companies establish and control their own bylaws, membership requirements, company policies or procedures, company officers, company discipline, company service or training requirements, and other rules or regulations established by the volunteer fire companies.
[Amended 4-13-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-03]
A. 
The career personnel include the Emergency Services Chief and the Assistant Emergency Services Chief. In addition, they include not more than three captains, three lieutenants and not more than 18 firefighters (up to three firefighter positions may be designated as fluent bilingual firefighter positions).
B. 
The Emergency Services Chief and the Assistant Emergency Services Chief shall not be civil service positions (and thus not subject to Civil Service Commission rules and regulations).
C. 
Captains and lieutenants shall be working supervisors.
D. 
The firefighter probationary period for initial appointments and promotions shall be one year.
E. 
Town Council may deem it necessary to exceed the number of firefighters due to illness, disability, military service or the training of firefighters.
F. 
All career personnel shall take an oath of office, in the form as provided for in 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 1141, administered by the Mayor, a judge, or a notary public, before commencing their duties.
The Fire Department will be subject to the control and direction of the Borough Manager in accordance with the Borough Manager's Ordinance found in Chapter 50, Manager, of the Code of Ordinances of the Borough of Chambersburg.