[1]
Cross Reference — Performance of duties of
members of fire department while on vacation, § 2-93.
There is hereby established for the City a Fire Department for
the welfare and protection of the citizens of the City and of their
property.
A.
The Fire
Department shall be composed of such members as may be appointed by
the Mayor with the consent and approval of the City Council.
B.
Fire Marshal, Deputies And Assistants. The Fire Chief or his designee shall be the Fire Marshal for the City of Lexington. Within the Fire Department, there shall be appointed by the Fire Marshal such deputies or assistants as may be necessary. These deputies or assistants shall have the same powers and perform the same duties as the Fire Marshal, at his direction or in his absence. The Fire Marshal shall be responsible for the enforcement of the Fire Prevention Code referenced by Chapter 9 of this Code and related laws of the City and State and for the investigation and/or prosecution of all cases of alleged arson and other fire-related incidents.
[Ord. No. 2014-22 § I, 9-23-2014]
The Chief of the Fire Department and other members of the Fire
Department shall receive such compensation as is or may be fixed by
ordinance.
The Fire Chief shall be in general charge of the Fire Department
and fire-fighting equipment of the City.
[Ord. No. 97-15 § I, 7-22-1997; Ord. No. 98-13 § I, 4-28-1998]
A.
It shall be the duty of members of the Fire and Rescue Department
to attend with utmost haste all alarms of fire, to engage in such
drills and practices at such times as the Mayor may designate, to
preserve in good condition the equipment and apparatus furnished the
Department, and to report to the City Council any repairs on equipment
that may be needed.
B.
It shall be the duty of members of the Fire and Rescue Department
to provide twenty-four (24) hour a day emergency medical services,
at the advanced life support level to the citizens of the City of
Lexington, Lexington R-5 School District and citizens in areas under
contract with the City of Lexington for fire or EMS services. "Emergency" is defined as a situation or occurrence that
requires immediate action to save life or prevent suffering or disability,
as defined in Section 321.225, RSMo.
C.
Lexington Fire and Rescue will provide patient assessment, treatment
at the basic and advanced life support level and transport of patients
to area hospital emergency departments, if appropriate as determined
by the Lexington Fire and Rescue advanced life support protocol or
a medically licensed physician. All transport procedures will follow
the standard operating procedures and protocols as approved by the
Medical Director and adopted by department policy.
It shall be the duty of every member of the Fire Department
to attend every fire and answer every call or alarm. If any member
of the Fire Department is unable to answer an alarm by attendance,
it shall be his duty to immediately notify the Fire Chief in such
a manner and within such a time that a substitute fireman may attend
in the place of said regular fireman.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 1, 9-11-1979]
There is hereby adopted by the Council of the City of Lexington,
Missouri, the fire control measures and regulations as herein set
forth for the purposes of controlling conditions which could impede
or interfere with fire suppression forces.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 2, 9-11-1979]
The Fire Official, or his duly authorized representatives, as
may be in charge at the scene of a fire or other emergency involving
the protection of life and/or property, is empowered to direct such
operations as may be necessary to extinguish or control any suspected
or reported fires, gas leaks or other hazardous conditions or situations
or of taking any other action necessary in the reasonable performance
of their duty. The Fire Official may prohibit any person, vehicle
or object from approaching the scene and may remove or cause to be
removed from the scene any person, vehicle or object which may impede
or interfere with the operations of the Fire Department. The Fire
Official may remove or cause to be removed any person, vehicle or
object from hazardous areas. All persons ordered to leave a hazardous
area shall do so immediately and shall not re-enter the area until
authorized to do so by the Fire Official.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 3, 9-11-1979]
It shall be unlawful to interfere with, attempt to interfere
with, conspire to interfere with, obstruct or restrict the mobility
of, or block the path of travel of any Fire Department emergency vehicle
in any way, or to interfere with, attempt to interfere, conspire to
interfere with, obstruct or hamper any Fire Department operation.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 4, 9-11-1979]
A person shall not willfully fail or refuse to comply with any
lawful order or direction of the Fire Official or to interfere with
the compliance attempts of another individual.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 5, 9-11-1979]
A vehicle shall not be driven or propelled over any unprotected
fire hose of the Fire Department when laid down on any street, alley-way,
private drive or any other vehicular roadway without the consent of
the Fire Official in command of said operation.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 6, 9-11-1979]
Authorized emergency vehicles shall be restricted to those which
are defined and authorized under the laws of the State of Missouri.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 7, 9-11-1979]
Upon the approach of any authorized emergency vehicle, giving
audible and visual signal, the operator of every other vehicle shall
immediately drive the same to a position as near as possible and parallel
to the right hand edge or curb of the street or roadway, clear of
any intersection, and shall stop and remain in such position until
the authorized emergency vehicle or vehicles shall have passed, unless
otherwise directed by the Fire Official or a Police Officer.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 8, 9-11-1979]
It shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle, other
than one on official business, to follow closer than five hundred
(500) feet from any fire apparatus traveling in response to a fire
alarm, or to drive any vehicle within the block or immediate area
where fire apparatus has stopped in answer to a fire alarm.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 9, 9-11-1979]
A person shall not without proper authorization from the Fire
Official in charge of said Fire Department emergency equipment, cling
to, attach himself to, climb upon or into, board, or swing upon any
Fire Department emergency vehicle, whether the same is in motion or
a rest, or sound the siren, horn, bell, or other sound-producing device
thereon, or to manipulate or tamper with, or attempt to manipulate
or tamper with any levers, valves, switches, starting devices, brakes,
pumps, or any equipment or protective clothing on, or a part of, any
Fire Department emergency vehicle.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 10, 9-11-1979]
It shall be unlawful for any person to damage or deface, or
attempt, or conspire to damage or deface any Fire Department emergency
vehicle at any time, or to injure, or attempt to inure or conspire
to injure Fire Department personnel while performing departmental
duties.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 11, 9-11-1979]
The driver of any emergency vehicle, as defined in Section 9-27 of this Chapter, shall not sound the siren thereon or have the front red lights on or disobey any existing traffic regulations, except when said vehicle is responding to an emergency call or when responding to, but not upon returning from a fire. Tactical strategies such as, but not restricted to "move-ups" do not constitute an emergency call. The driver of an emergency vehicle may:
1.
Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of existing traffic
regulations;
2.
Proceed past a red or stop signal or other sign, but only after slowing
down as may be necessary for safe operation;
3.
Exceed the prima facie speed limit so long as he does not endanger
life or property;
4.
Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning
in specified directions;
5.
The exemptions herein granted to an emergency vehicle shall apply
only when the driver of any such vehicle while in motion sounds audible
signal by bell, siren, or exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary,
and when the vehicle is equipped with at least one (1) lighted lamp
displaying a red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions
from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of such vehicle.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 12, 9-11-1979]
A.
It shall be unlawful to obscure from view, damage, deface, obstruct
or restrict the access to any fire hydrant or any Fire Department
connection for the pressurization of fire suppression systems, including
fire hydrants and Fire Department connections that are located on
public or private streets and access lanes, or on private property.
B.
If upon the expiration of the time mentioned in a notice of violation,
obstructions or encroachments are not removed, the Fire Official shall
proceed to remove the same. Cost incurred in the performance of necessary
work shall be paid from the Municipal Treasury on certificate of the
Fire Official and with the approval of the Chief Administrative Official;
and the legal authority of the Municipality shall institute appropriate
action for the recovery of such costs.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 13, 9-11-1979]
A person shall not use or operate any fire hydrant intended
for use of the Fire Department for fire suppression purposes unless
such person first secures a permit for such use from the Fire Official
and the Water Company having jurisdiction. This Section shall not
apply to the use of such hydrants by a person employed by, and authorized
to make such use by, the Water Company having jurisdiction.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 14, 9-11-1979]
The Fire Official shall recommend to the Chief Administrative
Official of the City the location or relocation of new or existing
fire hydrants and the placement or replacement of inadequate water
mains located upon public property and deemed necessary to provide
an adequate fire flow and distribution pattern. A fire hydrant shall
not be placed into or removed from service until approved by the Fire
Official.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 15, 9-11-1979]
All new and existing ship yards, oil storage plants, lumber
yards, amusement or exhibition parks, and educational or institutional
complexes and similar occupancies and uses involving high fire, or
life hazards, and which are located more than one hundred fifty (150)
feet from a public street or which require quantities of water beyond
the capabilities of the public water distribution system, shall be
provided with properly placed fire hydrants. Such fire hydrants shall
be capable of supplying fire flows as required by the Fire Official
and shall be connected to a water system in accordance with accepted
engineering practices. The Fire Official shall designate and approve
the number and location of fire hydrants. The Fire Official may require
the installation of sufficient fire hose and equipment housed in accordance
with the approved rules and may require the establishment of a trained
fire brigade when the hazard involved requires such measures. Private
hydrants shall not be placed into or removed from service until approved
by the Fire Official.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 16, 9-11-1979]
A person shall not obstruct, remove, tamper with or otherwise
disturb any fire hydrant or fire appliance required to be installed
or maintained under the provisions of the Fire Prevention Code except
for the purpose of extinguishing fire, training or testing purposes,
recharging or making necessary repairs, or when permitted by the Fire
Official. Whenever a fire appliance is removed as herein permitted,
it shall be replaced or re-installed as soon as the purpose for which
it was removed has been accomplished. Defective and non-approved fire
appliances or equipment shall be replaced or repaired as directed
by the Fire Official.
[Ord. No. 79-28, § 17, 9-11-1979]
A person or persons shall not erect, construct, place or maintain
any bumps, fences, gates, chains, bars, pipes, wood or metal horses
or any other type of obstruction in or on any street, within the boundaries
of the City. The word "street" as used in this Chapter,
shall mean any roadway accessible to the public for vehicular traffic,
including, but not limited to, private streets or access lanes, as
well as all public streets and highways within the boundaries of the
City.
