A Bureau of Fire Prevention in the Fire Department of the Borough
is hereby established, which Bureau shall be operated under the supervision
of the Department Chief, who shall designate an officer or member
of the Department as Chief Inspector of the Bureau, who shall hold
his office at the pleasure of Council. The Fire Chief shall also designate
two Assistant Inspectors, who shall be the Chief of the Logan Fire
Company and the Chief of the Undine Fire Company. The Fire Chief may
also designate for temporary service such other Assistant Inspectors
as the business of the Bureau may require.
It shall be the duty of the Department Chief to investigate
and to recommend to Council such additional ordinances, or amendments
to existing ordinances, as he may deem necessary for safeguarding
life and property against fire.
The Department Chief shall prepare instructions for the Chief
Inspector and his Assistant Inspectors and forms for their use in
the reports required by this chapter.
The Bureau of Fire Prevention may investigate the cause, origin
and circumstances of any fire occurring in the Borough by which property
has been destroyed or damaged and, so far as possible, shall determine
whether the fire is the result of carelessness or design. Such investigation
should begin immediately upon the occurrence of such a fire, and,
if it appears to the officer making such investigation that such fire
is of suspicious origin, the Department Chief shall be notified at
the earliest reasonable time of such fact. The ranking Fire Chief
on scene shall then take immediate charge of the physical evidence,
shall notify the proper authorities designated by law to pursue the
investigation of such matters and shall further cooperate with the
authorities in the collection of evidence and the prosecution of the
case. Every fire shall be reported in writing to the Bureau within
one week after the occurrence of the same by the officer in charge
of each company. Such report shall be in such form as is prescribed
by the Department Chief and shall contain a statement of all facts
relating to the cause, origin and circumstances of such fire, the
extent of the damage thereof, and such other information as may be
required.
The Department Chief, the Chief Inspector or any Assistant Inspector
may, in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Bellefonte
Borough Safety and Property Maintenance Code, enter a building or
premises within his jurisdiction for the purpose of making any inspection
or investigation which, under the provisions of this chapter, he may
deem necessary to be made.
The Department Chief shall keep, in the office of the Bureau
of Fire Prevention, a record of all fires and of all the facts concerning
the same, including statistics as to the extent of such fires, and
the damage caused thereby. Such record shall be made monthly from
the reports made by the Inspectors under the provisions of this chapter.
The annual report of the Bureau of Fire Prevention shall be
made at the first meeting of Council in February of each year. The
report shall contain all proceedings under this chapter, with such
statistics as the Department Chief may wish to include therein. The
Department Chief shall also recommend any amendments to this chapter
which, in his judgment, are desirable.