[Adopted 5-17-1993 as
§§ 2.72.010 to 2.72.180 and 2.72.200 to 2.72.220 of
the 1993 Code]
The Fire Department shall consist of the Chief and as many deputy
chiefs, captains, lieutenants and firefighters as are deemed necessary
by the Mayor.
The Fire Department shall be organized into seven engine companies,
five ladder companies, one combination hose company and one lighting
unit.
The Chief of the Fire Department shall arrange the officers
and members of the Fire Department into such groups and details as
may be necessary so that the weekly hours of duty of the officers
and members of the Fire Department shall not exceed 48 hours in any
week.
A. Conduct of officers and members. The Chief of the Fire Department
shall be responsible for the discipline, good order and proper conduct
of the officers and men constituting the Fire Department and shall
have the superintendence and the control of the several fire stations,
the apparatus, the furniture therein and all other property appertaining
to the Department. He shall, from time to time, make such rules and
regulations for the government of the Department as he may deem expedient.
B. Suspension of officers and members. The Chief of the Fire Department
may, subject to the provisions of the General Laws, suspend from duty
any officer or member who shall neglect or refuse to perform his duty
or who shall be guilty of any disorderly conduct or of disobedience
to any superior officer, or of the rules and regulations of the Department,
or of any violation of any general orders, and shall forthwith report
such suspensions to the Mayor.
C. Control and command at fires. The Chief of the Fire Department shall
have the sole and absolute control and command of all members of the
Department and of other persons present at a fire.
D. Absence. In case of the absence of the Chief of the Fire Department,
the ranking officer on duty shall, during such absence, have and exercise
all the power and authority of the Chief and shall perform the duties
of his office. The officer in command of the first company which arrives
at a fire shall be the officer in command until a superior officer
arrives.
E. Member records. The Chief shall keep a roll of the members of the
Department specifying the name, age and residence and date of appointment
and discharge of each member of the same.
F. Annual report. The Chief of the Fire Department shall annually make
to the Mayor, and more often if required, a detailed report in writing
of the condition of the Fire Department, of the fires, loss and accidents
by fires, with the cause thereof, as well as he can ascertain, together
with a description of the buildings and other property destroyed or
injured, the amount of insurance and the names of owners.
G. Fire alarm signal system. The Chief of the Fire Department shall
have full charge of the operation of the fire alarm signal system
and shall assign to duty in connection therewith such members of the
Department as he may deem expedient.
A. All buildings other than a residential building of fewer than six
units shall contain a secure key box installed in a location accessible
to the Fire Department in case of emergency. This key box shall contain
a complete set of building entry keys and keys to fire alarm control
panels and other keys necessary to operate or service fire protection
systems. The key box shall be a type approved by the Chief of the
Quincy Fire Department and shall be located and installed as approved
by the Chief.
B. Any entity violating a provision of this section shall be subject
to a fine of $100 and $10 per day until it is in compliance with the
ordinance codified in this section, enforceable through the authorized
personnel of the Quincy Fire Department.
No unauthorized person shall open any of the fire signal boxes,
except in case of fire, or interfere with the wires or the poles or
other supports of the wires of the fire signal boxes.
The Chief of the Fire Department, or any officer or member delegated
by him in writing, shall investigate and make certain that every person
sounding or causing to be sounded a false alarm of fire or other false
emergency call is prosecuted if apprehended.
No gambling shall be allowed in any building occupied by the
Fire Department, nor shall spirituous liquors or drugs be carried
into, kept or used there.
No apparatus shall be taken out of the City to a fire without
the permission of the Chief of the Fire Department or, in his absence,
that of the ranking officer on duty, provided that this section shall
not apply when an agreement for mutual aid between any other city
or town and this City shall be in effect.
No person shall impede or in any way obstruct the progress of
any official or apparatus connected with the Fire Department by driving
or riding a motor vehicle, team or bicycle in front of such official
or apparatus while the same is answering an alarm of fire or other
emergency alarm. No person shall stop a vehicle, bicycle or other
similar device or park or leave the same unattended or place or cause
to be placed any material or things in such manner as to impede or
obstruct the progress of any vehicle of the Fire Department while
the same is responding to an alarm or other emergency call.
No person shall drive over any hose belonging to the Fire Department,
with any vehicle, when such hose is stationed, located or laid in
any street, except under the direction of the officer in command thereat.
In case of fire, the Fire Department, its officers and members,
with their machines and equipment, shall have the right-of-way in
the public streets and ways of the City, as against all other persons,
vehicles or animals.
A. Whenever the maintenance, operation, or use of any land, building,
structure, material or other object, or any part thereof, including
vehicles used in the transport of hazardous materials, constitutes
a fire or explosion hazard which is dangerous or unsafe or a menace
to the public safety, and the action to be taken to eliminate such
dangerous or unsafe condition or conditions which create, or tend
to create, the same is not specifically provided for in the prior
City ordinances, and unless otherwise prohibited by law or regulations,
the head of the Fire Department is authorized and empowered to take
such action as may be necessary to eliminate such dangerous or unsafe
condition or conditions, including the evacuation of buildings and/or
the assignment of a paid fire detail pending such elimination.
B. "Paid fire detail" means off-duty authorized member or members of
the Quincy Fire Department, contracted to act as a paid fire detail,
who take immediate and proper steps to prevent injury or loss of life
or property.
C. The members, equipment and duties of the fire detail shall be those
specified as necessary by the head of the Fire Department to handle
the hazardous condition. Compensation shall be at the rate established
by the pay scale of the Quincy Fire Department and shall be paid by
the outside employer. Such paid fire detail shall be paid by the person
demolishing the building or other person designated by the head of
the Fire Department.
[Added by Order
No. 94-132]
A. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
EXPLOSIVES
Any chemical compound, mixture, or device, the primary or
common purpose of which is to function by explosion, i.e., with substantially
instantaneous release of gas and heat; also, any explosive or other
chemical compound or mixture confined in a container and capable of
doing damage to persons or property or both on ignition or detonation.
Further, any compound, mixture, or device suspected of being an explosive
whether confined in a container or not.
PERSON(S)
Any person, firm, corporation, society, association or partnership
and/or any employee/member of any federal agency, duly authorized
militia of the commonwealth, or state or local police department and/or
fire department, even if acting within his/her official capacity.
B. No person shall transport or detonate any Class A or Class B explosives,
as defined in 527 CMR 13.03, within the City of Quincy unless such
transportation/detonation has been authorized, in advance, by the
Quincy Fire Chief.
C. Whenever the maintenance, operation, or use of any land, building,
structure, material or other object, or any part thereof, including
vehicles used in the transport of hazardous material, constitutes
a fire or explosion hazard which is dangerous or unsafe, or a menace
to the public safety within the City limits, the Chief of the Quincy
Fire Department is authorized and empowered to take such action as
may be necessary to abate such dangerous or unsafe condition or conditions,
including:
(1) Directing employees of other City departments and agencies;
(2) Ordering and supervising evacuation of buildings;
(3) Directing the transport of hazardous materials, including the speed
of such transport, the routes, the amounts transported and/or the
hours of transportation; and/or
(4) Any further actions which the Fire Chief may deem appropriate in
the circumstances.
[Amended by Order No. 97-337]
A. Any person who has been issued a permit from the Director of Inspectional
Services to demolish a building in the City must notify the head of
the Fire Department or his authorized agent, in writing, before beginning
demolishment of such building. Such person must state the time and
date of the building razing and he must make arrangements for a paid
fire detail to cover this demolishing operation. Such paid fire detail
shall be assigned by the Chief of the Fire Department and shall continue
until such time as the demolishing operation has been completed and
the debris removed from the site.
B. Any person receiving a permit to demolish a building from the Director
of Inspectional Services who fails to notify the head of the Fire
Department of a demolishment permit and does not arrange for a paid
fire detail and proceeds with the demolishment of the building without
the fire detail shall be punished by a fine of $50 or, in case of
a continuing offense after notice of such violation, by a fine of
$50 for every day during which the violation continues.
[Amended 6-1-2020 by Order
No. 2020-012]
Any temporary structures or facilities not permanently affixed
to land and having an occupancy capacity of 100 or more persons shall
be required to engage a fire watch detail of City of Quincy firefighters
during all hours of operation when such structures or facilities are
open for public use, unless such requirement is waived, after review,
by the Fire Chief or his designee.
[Added 12-5-2011 by Order No. 2011-149A]
A. Fees for fire details must be paid within 30 days after the issuance
of a bill. In the event that such charges remain unpaid after the
expiration of the 30 days, interest will accrue at a rate equivalent
to that assessed for unpaid taxes pursuant to the provisions of MGL
c. 59, § 57, as said provision may from time to time be
amended. A late fee equal to 10% of the billable detail cost shall
also be assessed.
B. The Fire Chief may develop a policy assuring timely payment of such
fees, including but not limited to requirement of a deposit or escrow
of funds sufficient to cover such obligations.