The fire chiefs of the fire companies comprising the Tyrone Fire Department, namely, the Blazing Arrow Hook & Ladder Volunteer Fire Company and Neptune Volunteer Fire Company Number 1, or whatever such entity which may succeed them, jointly shall nominate from time to time active members of either of said fire companies and, when confirmed by the Borough Council and sworn by the Mayor as required by law, said individuals shall serve as special fire police officers pursuant to 35 Pa.C.S.A. § 7431, et seq. Every such special fire police officer shall serve at the pleasure of Borough Council and Council shall have the authority to remove any special fire police officer at any time for any reason including, but not limited to, conduct unbecoming a special fire police officer; failure to maintain any of the qualification set forth in §
20-17; and/or upon recommendation from the fire company of which the special fire police officer is a member. Special fire police officers shall be automatically terminated in the event that they cease to be members of one of the fire companies which comprise the Tyrone Fire Department for any reason. For all active public duty, as assigned by the Mayor or the Chief of Police, at the scenes of fires, parades, accidents, floods or other emergencies, each special fire police officer so serving may be compensated by the Borough as the Borough Council may determine from time to time.
The special fire police officers confirmed by Borough Council
shall have full police powers, as provided by law, when displaying
a badge of authority, to regulate traffic, keep crowds under control
and to prevent interference by the public at the scene of parades,
accidents, floods or other emergencies. In addition, said special
fire police officers shall properly rope off the scene of any conflagration
immediately after their arrival at the scene. Together with the members
of the Borough police force and other authorized law enforcement officers,
said special fire police officers are authorized to exclude from interference
with the function of the regularly organized Tyrone Fire Department
all persons not members thereof and to exclude from the area within
the fire lines all unauthorized persons. They shall take into custody
any and all persons persisting in such unauthorized interference.
Any person who shall interfere with or fail to comply with any
lawful order of any member of the fire police while on duty and displaying
his lawful badge of authority shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject
to a fine of not less than $20 nor more than $1,000 and costs of prosecution,
and in default of payment thereof, to imprisonment for not more than
30 days.
The special fire police officers confirmed by Borough Council
shall be the only entity recognized by the Borough of Tyrone to perform
fire police duties within the Borough. No other entity which purports
to provide fire police services shall operate within the Borough unless
it is the designated fire police entity for another municipality and
is dispatched in support of a fire company which is designated to
perform fire services in that municipality or whose assistance has
been requested by the Borough.
The individuals confirmed as special fire police officers shall
not conduct any fundraising activities separate or apart from those
activities conducted by and for the fire companies which comprise
the Tyrone Fire Department. They may, however, participate in the
fundraising efforts of the fire company of which they are a member.