Each violation of any provision of this Chapter
179 shall be subject to the penalties and remedies described in §
1-3 of this Code.
As authorized in § 61.65(2)(a)4, Wis. Stats., fire
protection and medical services for the Village are provided pursuant
to an agreement between the Village and the Richfield Volunteer Fire
Company.
A. The Village shall charge a reimbursement amount set by the Village
fee schedule for reimbursement of response costs for any fire call
on any public highway for any emergency response by the Richfield
Volunteer Fire Company requiring the deployment of any Fire Company
personnel or equipment. The fee shall be collected from the insurer
of the person to whom the fire call was provided or the person to
whom the fire call was provided. Where a fire call involves a multiple
vehicle accident, the Village shall collect costs from the person
or persons determined to be at fault for the accident.
B. For any fire call to a state highway or any highway that is part
of the national system of interstate highways, if reasonable collection
efforts have failed, the Village may seek reimbursement of costs from
the Department of Transportation pursuant to § 61.65(8),
Wis. Stats.
C. The Village shall follow the same billing procedure for other services
provided by the Richfield Volunteer Fire Company such as EMS.
D. The Village shall authorize the Fire Company to collect fees on behalf
of the Village.
The Fire Chief or designee shall direct the operation of the
Fire Company at emergency incidents, subject to the rules and regulations
which may be adopted by the Village Board, issue and enforce such
orders as in his or her judgment may be best calculated for the protection
of property and the extinguishing of fires; enforce all ordinances
and rules and regulations of the Village Board governing the Fire
Company; report annually to the Village Board all fires occurring
in the Village, the origin thereof, if possible, together with the
amounts and value of property destroyed and the amount of insurance,
if any; make a full statement of the condition of the company at the
end of each year; and make further reports when requested to do so
by the Village Board.
In the absence of the Chief, the senior ranking Assistant Chief
shall take command and perform his or her duties.
A. Appointment. The Fire Chief or his or her designee shall be the Village
Fire Inspector.
B. Powers and duties. The Fire Inspector shall make such inspections
as may be necessary to ascertain the compliance of the owners or occupants
of private premises with the provisions of applicable law and the
administrative rules of the State Department of Safety and Professional
Services and this chapter, and he or she may enter any building or
upon any premises at any reasonable hour for the purpose of such inspection.
Should he or she find a fire hazard within the Village, he may serve
a notice, in writing, on the owner of the property, giving the owner
a reasonable amount of time to be determined by the Fire Inspector
in which to remove the hazard. If the fire hazard is not removed within
that time, it is deemed a nuisance, and the Fire Inspector may have
the hazard removed by the Village. The cost of removal shall be recovered
by the Village as a special charge pursuant to § 66.0627,
Wis. Stats.
C. Investigation and record of fires. The Fire Inspector shall investigate
the cause of all fires occurring within the Village as soon as possible
after their occurrence, and he shall keep a record thereof, and of
the evidence in each case, on file in his or her office as a public
record.
Any firefighter, while acting under the order or direction of
the Chief or other officer in command, may enter upon the premises
adjacent to or in the vicinity of any building or other property within
the Village then on fire for the purpose of extinguishing such fire,
and no person shall hinder or resist or obstruct any firefighter in
the discharge of such duty.
During the progress of any fire within the Village, the Fire
Chief or designee may order the removal or destruction of any property
necessary to prevent the further spread of fire.
Except when actually responding to a fire alarm or other emergency
call or when on duty at a fire within the Village, the apparatus of
the Fire Company shall have no special right-of-way or privileges
of any kind, but shall be subject to the same traffic regulations
as other vehicles.
All volunteer firefighters, when responding to an emergency
call with a private vehicle that is not equipped with both an emergency
light and a siren, shall comply with all traffic regulations.
The Chief or his or her designated agent may prescribe certain
limits in the vicinity of any fire within the Village within which
any persons, excepting firefighters and law enforcement officers and
those admitted by order of any officer of the Fire Company, shall
not be permitted. He or she may cause the removal of any property
whenever it shall become necessary for the preservation of such property
from fire, to prevent the spreading of fire, or to protect adjoining
property. He or she may likewise cause the shutoff of electrical and
natural gas services where the property creates a dangerous hazard
or interferes with the work of the Fire Company during the progress
of the fire.
Every person who may be present at the scene of an emergency
may be subject to orders of the Chief or other officer in command,
and every such person shall render assistance, within reason of one's
physical capabilities, as may be ordered by the officer in charge.
No person shall willfully hinder a firefighter in the discharge
of his or her duties, nor shall any person willfully injure in any
manner any hose, fire engine or other fire apparatus belonging to
the Fire Company.
No road vehicle shall be driven over any fire hose unless otherwise
directed by the Fire Chief or law enforcement officer.
No person shall permit on premises he or she controls any empty
boxes, wastepaper, excelsior, rags or other combustible materials
in such quantities or manner as to create a fire hazard.
Repeated or continuous violations of this chapter or the laws
of the state relating to the storage of flammable liquids constitute
a nuisance.
All use or display of fireworks is prohibited except as provided
by state law and this Code.
A. No person shall by careless or willful smoking, or use of lighters
or matches in smoking, whether intentional or unintentional, set fire
to personal property or any building.
B. The Fire Chief shall post or cause to be posted "No Smoking" signs
on any premises or in any building or any section of such premises
or building within the Village where by the presence of highly combustible
materials, in his or her opinion, the act of smoking presents a fire
hazard.