The Board of Trustees shall have the right, but not the obligation,
to approve contracts or agreements with other municipalities and/or
fire protection districts for all material, equipment and personnel
necessary for the prevention and extinguishment of fires within the
Village. Such personnel may include the furnishing of fire prevention
officers or inspection officers who, during such time as they carry
out their duties within the Village, shall have all of the powers
resident with a member of the Village Fire Department. Such material,
equipment and personnel also may be contracted for with private entities
to provide for the furnishing of both fire protection and emergency
response and rescue services as independent contractors for the Village.
The following miscellaneous provisions shall apply to the operation
of the Fire Department, which, for the purposes of this article, shall
include any fire force engaged by the Village to carry out fire-fighting
services within the Village:
(A)
Fire apparatus shall have the right-of-way over all other vehicular
and pedestrian traffic only when responding to an alarm of fire or
other emergency call. It may, at that time, disregard traffic-control
signals and signs, provided due caution is taken by reducing speed,
by continuously operating its sirens and signal lights, and by using
all other safety precautions. When returning to the station after
a fire response, it shall obey all traffic-control signs and signals.
(B)
It shall be unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle over any
unprotected fire hose laid at a fire, where the hose is in use by
order of the Fire Chief or other person in command, except by permission
of the Fire Chief or person in command.
(C)
It shall be unlawful for any person to interfere with a firefighter
in performance of his or her duty, or to refuse or neglect to furnish
any member of the Fire Department assistance or information pertaining
to the cause or origin of any fire, or to hinder any fire investigation
in any manner.
(D)
It shall be unlawful for any person to have in his or her possession,
or make or cause to be made, any key or keys of any mutual aid box
alarm system or rapid entry box, or use or cause to be used, any such
key without the written consent of the Fire Chief.
(E)
It shall be unlawful for any person to take away any property in
the possession of the Fire Department saved from any fire until proof
of ownership shall be made to the satisfaction of the Fire Chief,
or the person in command at the fire, and until authorized to remove
said property by the Fire Chief or said person in command.
(F)
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than the members of the
Fire Department for the uses and purposes of such Department, and
those specially authorized by the Department of Public Works, to open
any public fire hydrant or attempt to draw water from the same.
(G)
It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or carelessly break,
injure or interfere with any of the public fire hydrants in the Village.
(H)
It shall be unlawful for any person in any manner to obstruct the
use of any public fire hydrant, or place any material or vehicle in
front thereof, or within 15 feet thereof at any curb, as measured
from that point on the curb perpendicular to the exact location of
the public fire hydrant. Any and all material or any vehicle found
to be such an obstruction or within said fifteen-foot area may be
immediately removed by any member of the Fire Department, and at the
risk and expense of the owner or claimant thereof.
(I)
It shall be unlawful for any person in any manner to willfully destroy,
damage or deface any engine or other fire apparatus belonging to,
or under contract for, the Village.
