[Adopted 12-7-1976 by Ord. No. 247]
The Fire Chief or, in his absence, the Assistant
Fire Chief, in order of rank, shall have full control over all fire
apparatus of the members of the Fire Department in service at any
fire or fires. It shall be the duty of the Fire Chief, or the Assistant
Fire Chief while serving as such, to superintend the Fire Department
while performing such public duty in fighting a fire; to give general
and specific directions as to the manner of fighting fires, the use
of hose and apparatus and the specific duties and assignments of the
various members. The Fire Chief or Assistant Fire Chief in charge
may suspend any member of the Fire Department for insubordination
at any fire. He shall keep or cause to be kept complete records of
all fires with information as prescribed by the Board of Township
Commissioners in order to ascertain the causes of fires. The Fire
Chief or, in his absence, the Assistant Fire Chief shall cause a report
to be made to the Board of Commissioners on the condition of the Fire
Department and the activities thereof monthly. The Fire Chief shall
engage in such prevention.
With the consent of the Township Fire Commissioner,
the Fire Chief of the Township, or the Assistant Fire Chief, is hereby
given the authority to inspect all constructions or buildings within
the Township upon property owned or controlled by the Township or
by any municipal authority, whether public, private or business, and
shall enforce all laws of the commonwealth and the ordinance of this
Township relating to such construction or buildings for prevention,
containment or investigation of fire or fire hazards, both as to construction
or buildings and as to the contents or occupancy thereof.
The Fire Chief or his Assistant shall, upon
the determination by him of the existence of any fire hazard in any
construction or building, or within the same, or on or within any
premises within the Township, immediately notify the Board of Commissioners,
and the Board may then direct the Secretary of the Township or the
Fire Chief to notify the owner or occupant to abate or remove the
same within such time as the Fire Chief may deem reasonable, and upon
failure of the owner or occupant to do so, the Fire Chief shall cause
the same to be removed or abated, and the cost of removal or abatement
shall be charged to the owner or occupant thereof, and upon failure
of the occupant, the Board of Commissioners may direct the entry of
a municipal lien for the cost thereof or may bring a suit in assumpsit
for the cost.
In the event of fire or suspicion of fire, the
Fire Chief or acting Fire Chief and members of the Fire Department
shall have the authority to enter upon property and to enter any building
in the Township in which there is a fire, suspicion of fire or reason
to believe the said building or structure would be endangered by fire,
and in the event that the owner, tenant or custodian thereof is not
available to give access to the building or structure, then the Fire
Chief or Acting Fire Chief may make forcible entry thereof and shall
be fully protected from loss, damage or any liability by reason of
the exercise of this power.
The Fire Chief and his Assistant shall, in all
cases of fire or fire alarms, have full control and occupy sufficient
ground or space necessary for the operation of all fire companies
at said fire and for the protection of life and property and shall
be protected in the discharge of their duties by the police officers
of the Township.
No person shall in any way obstruct or prevent,
or attempt to obstruct or prevent, the Fire Chief in the discharge
of his duties by denying or attempting to deny him access to any premises
owned or occupied by any said person or by failing or refusing to
furnish correct information requested by the Fire Chief in the investigation
of the cause, origin or circumstances of any fire. No person shall
in any way obstruct or prevent, or attempt to obstruct or prevent,
the Fire Chief while inspecting any construction, building or premises
in the Township to determine the existence of any possible fire hazard,
nor shall any person deny access to the Fire Chief to any construction,
building or premises for inspection thereof.
No person except an active member of or members
of the Fire Department shall at any time enter within the territory
in the vicinity of any fire when the same may be roped off or access
within said limits be denied by fire police, or interfere with or
attempt to operate any of the apparatus or equipment of the Fire Department
or any fire hydrant, or interfere by giving orders to any individual,
unless requested to do so by the Fire Chief or the person acting as
such; provided, however, that the Chairman of the Fire Committee of
the Board of Township Commissioners, or any policemen of the Township,
or any other law enforcement officer, or the owner or occupant of
said property within the said limits, and such other person as may
be specifically authorized by the Fire Chief or person acting as such,
may enter such restricted lines.
The Fire Chief or his Assistant shall keep a
permanent record of the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire
and the damages resulting therefrom immediately after the occurrence
of such fire, and said records shall be opened to public inspection.
The Fire Chief or his Assistant shall annually
report to the Board of Commissioners concerning occurrences of all
fires during the calendar year, which report will be submitted at
the regular meeting of the Board of Township Commissioners in February
of each year.
No person shall place ashes, cinders, dirt,
rubbish, building material or any other material of any kind whatsoever
around or in close proximity to any fire hydrant in the Township so
as to cause hindrance or delay in access thereto or prevent the free
use thereof by the Fire Department. No person shall in any way interfere
with or tamper with any fire hydrant or attempt to take water therefrom
without special authority from the Fire Chief or the person acting
as such.
[Amended 2-8-1996 by Ord. No. 348]
Any person who shall violate any of the various
sections or provisions of this article shall, upon conviction thereof
and in accordance with the provisions of the First Class Township
Code,[1] pay a fine not exceeding $1,000 and the costs of prosecution
and, in default of the payment of such fine and costs, be confined
in the Beaver County Jail for a term not exceeding 30 days.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 55101
et seq.
