[R.O. 2006 §205.010; CC 1986 §70.010; Ord. No. 1563, 2-18-2021]
A Fire Department for the City of Willow Springs, Missouri, consisting of a Fire Chief and as many firefighters as deemed necessary to provide adequate fire protection for the City of Willow Springs, is hereby authorized for the City of Willow Springs, Missouri.
[R.O. 2006 §205.020; CC 1986 §70.020; Ord. No. 1539, 12-20-2018; Ord. No. 1563, 2-18-2021[1]]
The Fire Chief shall be appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the majority of the Board of Aldermen. The Fire Chief may be removed from office by the Mayor with the consent of the majority of the Board of Aldermen.
[1]
Editor's Note: Ord. No. 1563 also changed the title of this Section from "Officers" to "Appointment/Removal of Fire Chief."
[R.O. 2006 §205.030; CC 1986 §70.030; Ord. No. 1563, 2-18-2021[1]]
A. 
Under policy direction from the City Administrator, the Fire Chief, plans, manages, oversees, and directs the operations and services of the Fire Department which shall include training, disaster preparation, EMS communications, records, personnel oversight, and fire safety. The Fire Chief, along with the City Administrator, with approval from the Willow Springs Board of Aldermen, shall adopt and promulgate rules and regulations for the conduct of the Fire Department.
The Fire Chief or someone designated by him/her shall have control of and be responsible for the care and condition of the fire equipment which shall at all times be ready for immediate use. A written quarterly report shall be furnished to the City Administrator by the Fire Chief. The report will include the condition of the department and its equipment and recommendations for alterations, additions or changes as the department may require in his/her judgment. The Fire Chief will conduct two (2) training drill meetings each month for the purpose of maintaining a high level of proficiency among the firemen. Drill meetings will be as scheduled by the Fire Chief. It shall be the duty of every member of the Fire Department to attend every regular meeting of the Fire Department or any called meeting; and any member failing to attend any two (2) consecutive meetings without a satisfactory cause shall be dismissed from such department.
1. 
The Fire Chief or the person acting as Fire Chief shall have the right to summons any and all persons present to aid in extinguishing a fire or to aid in removing personal property from any building on fire or in danger thereof and in guarding the same.
2. 
The Fire Chief or the person acting as Fire Chief shall have full power, control and command over all persons whomsoever present at fires and he/she shall direct the use of all fire apparatus and equipment and command all firemen in the discharge of their duties. He/she shall take such measures as he/she may deem necessary in the preservation and protection of property and the extinguishing of fires.
3. 
The Fire Chief shall keep in convenient form a complete record of all fires. Such information shall include the time and location, construction of building, owner, occupancy, how extinguished, value of building and contents, loss on building and contents, insurance on building and contents, members responding to the alarm and any other information deemed advisable to the City Administrator.
4. 
The Fire Chief will keep an inventory of all City Fire Department property and equipment and report the same to the City Administrator once each year in writing.
5. 
The Fire Chief must have successfully completed Fireman I & II, ICS 100, 200, 700, 800 or shall successfully complete Fireman I & II, ICS 100, 200, 700, and 800 within the first year of appointment. Any Fire Chief appointed who has not successfully completed such programs and who fails to successfully complete the same within three hundred sixty-five (365) days following their appointment shall be subject to immediate dismissal. He/she must possess a minimum of five (5) years of firefighting experience and training along with demonstrated management experience.
[1]
Editor's Note: Ord. No. 1563 also changed the title of this Section from "Duties of Fire Chief" to "Duties of Fire Chief and Qualifications."
[R.O. 2006 §205.040; CC 1986 §70.040]
The Fire Department shall have charge of the fire apparatus and shall keep the same in good order for immediate use and for more effectually perfecting the firefighters in discharge of their duties, shall as often as practicable thoroughly test the condition of the fire-fighting apparatus. Upon arrival at any fire, the members present shall take all necessary and proper action to extinguish such fire as quickly as possible and with the least possible damage. The department shall take all reasonable steps necessary under the circumstances to prevent the spread of the fire and damage to adjoining property. No City-owned fire vehicle will be taken outside the City limits except in extreme emergency or except in accordance with a mutual agreement with another unit of government.
[R.O. 2006 §205.050; CC 1986 §70.050; Ord. No. 1563, 2-18-2021]
The firefighter shall be no less than eighteen (18) years old and will be under the immediate control and direction of the Fire Chief. All firemen must follow the Chain of Command and the Incident Command System will be implemented on all emergency calls. All firemen, upon the alarm of fire without unnecessary delay, shall report to the endangered premises with the City fire apparatus. Firemen reporting to the location of a fire in their private vehicles shall do so in a safe and prudent manner without endangering the general public. Excessive speed and carelessness shall be grounds for dismissal from the department whether in a private vehicle or a City-owned apparatus. Every person duly selected as a member of the Fire Department shall be subject to call, at any time of the day or night, to attend any fire within the City; and if any member shall fail, neglect or refuse to attend any fire without reasonable cause therefor, he/she shall be subject to immediate removal from the department.
[R.O. 2006 §205.060; CC 1986 §70.060]
The volunteer Fire Department shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred as may be established from time to time by City ordinance.
[R.O. 2006 §205.070; CC 1986 §70.090]
No person shall use or as owner thereof permit to be used any siren, whistle or whistles not installed on fire or Police apparatus or in some way pertaining to fire without first obtaining permission from the Board of Aldermen.
[R.O. 2006 §205.090; CC 1986 §70.110]
No person or persons shall use any fire apparatus or equipment for any private purpose, nor shall any person willfully and without proper authority remove, take away, keep or conceal any tool, appliance or other article used in any way by the Fire Department.
[R.O. 2006 §§205.100 — 205.150; CC 1986 §§70.500 — 70.550]
A. 
The City of Willow Springs hereby contracts with other cities, effective upon the passage and approval of a like ordinance by their City Council/Board of Aldermen, for the interchange of service of the Fire Departments of the parties hereto upon the conditions and provisions hereinafter contained.
B. 
Respond To Alarms In Other Cities. The Fire Department of the City of Willow Springs shall respond to fire alarms on call in any part of other cities entering into such a mutual-aid agreement and their Fire Departments shall respond to fire alarms on call in any part of the City of Willow Springs. However, primary responsibility of the Fire Department of the City of Willow Springs shall be for the protection of life and property within the City of Willow Springs.
C. 
Consideration. The consideration for the service of the Fire Department of each municipality shall be the service given for the protection of the lives and property in such municipality by the service of the Fire Department of the other party hereto and no compensation shall accrue or be paid by either party for the service of the Fire Department of the other party hereto.
D. 
Liability.
1. 
No municipality shall be liable to the others for failure to respond to any call by the order of such municipalities or for delay or negligence or mistake in receiving or responding to any call, nor shall this contract be interpreted as being an agreement for the benefit of any third (3rd) person.
2. 
No municipality shall be liable by reason of this contract to any fireman, official or employee of the other, nor shall any fireman, official or employee of either municipality be considered for any purpose a fireman, official or employee of any municipality other than the one by which he/she is regularly employed.
E. 
Lost Or Damaged Property. In case of loss or damage to the equipment or property of either municipality while responding to fire alarms, such loss or damage shall be born by the City owning such equipment or property.
F. 
Joint Fire Lines. In effectuating the purpose of this contract, the parties hereto may maintain direct telephone lines between the fire stations of each of them to be used exclusively for fire calls. In such event, the expense of such lines shall be shared equally by the parties hereto.
[Ord. No. 1589, 11-17-2022]
A. 
The Missouri Firefighter Critical Illness Trust and Pool (herein MFFCIT") has created a critical illness pool as authorized by Section 320.400 and 537.620, RSMo., to create an alternative for public sector agencies seeking to control rising costs due to critical illnesses, including cancers, in firefighters. Missouri Statutes require such an entity to be formed by agreement of at least three (3) public sector agencies. Upon a proper application, a new entity has been created and approved by the Director of the Division of Commerce and Insurance and Missouri Secretary of State; and the new entity, called "Missouri Fire Fighter Critical Illness Trust and Pool," is a separate body corporate and trust, under the oversight of a Board of Trustees and the participating agencies. MFFCIT will safeguard, manage, and provide for administrative services for MFFCIT, and by agreeing to be one (1) of the agencies participating in MFFCIT, the City of Willow Springs is not forever bound to participate in MFFCIT, but does so by agreement; and upon proper consideration the City believes that participating in the MFFCIT risk pool is in the best interests of the City of Willow Springs.
B. 
The City of Willow Springs hereby declares its intent to become a member of MFFCIT and to participate thereof upon approval of Board of Trustees of MFFCIT.