[Amended 7-18-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-14; 11-21-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-19]
A. 
In general. Pursuant to § 62.13(8), Wis. Stats., the City of Port Washington Fire Department shall provide the essential services of fire protection/prevention and emergency medical care to people that live or work in, or travel through the City. The Fire Department also shall provide such services to those communities that reciprocally provide mutual aid to the City. The services provided by the Fire Department include, but are not limited to, emergency medical services (EMS) care and transportation, fire-prevention inspections, public fire and safety education, fire suppression, first responder first aid, hazardous material incident mitigation, rescue from water, ice, confined space, heights, transportation accidents, construction accidents, and industrial accidents, assistance to law enforcement, and emergency services and operations at natural and man-made disasters.
B. 
Authority. The Fire Department shall be in charge of firefighting and emergency care where fires, emergency medical incidents, accidents or disasters threaten life and/or property, and is authorized to undertake all actions and duties related to the performance of such emergency services in the City.
C. 
Definition. Unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this chapter to the "Fire Department" or "Department" shall mean the Port Washington Fire Department in its provision of fire services, in addition to its provision of ambulance, emergency medical, and rescue services.
The Fire Department of the City of Port Washington shall consist of firefighting personnel, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, and rescue dive team personnel, totaling not more than 60 members. All fire department personnel shall comply with the Standard Operating Guidelines of the Port Washington Fire Department, as approved by the Port Washington Police and Fire Commission. All fire department personnel also shall comply with the guidelines in the City of Port Washington Employee Handbook.
The Chief of the Fire Department (Fire Chief) shall be appointed by the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners and shall hold office during good behavior, subject to suspension or removal by the Police and Fire Commission for cause. The Fire Chief also may serve as the Fire Department's Director of Emergency Medical Services.
There shall be one Assistant Fire Chief, Deputy Fire and EMS Chiefs, Fire and EMS Captains, Fire and EMS Lieutenants, and Engineers. The Assistant Fire Chief, Deputy Chiefs, Captains, Lieutenants, and Engineers shall be appointed by the Fire Chief, subject to approval by the Police and Fire Commission.
The annual meeting of the Fire Department shall be held on the first Thursday of December annually. The holding of an annual meeting is a requirement of the state's Fire Department Dues Fund program. Other departmental meetings shall be held periodically as needed to conduct business.
A. 
Fire Chief/Director of Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
(1) 
The Fire Chief shall promulgate such administrative rules as may be necessary for the implementation of this chapter. Such rules shall require approval by the Police and Fire Commission and by the Common Council and shall be open to public inspection.
(2) 
The Fire Chief shall preside over selected meetings of the Fire Department and shall have command, or designate command, of the Department at all fires and emergency scenes.
(3) 
The Fire Chief shall examine the apparatus and buildings of the Fire Department as often as necessary to determine that they are properly cared for and in serviceable condition.
(4) 
It shall be the duty of the Fire Chief to submit an annual report to the Police and Fire Commission and Common Council for the preceding year, showing the Department's annual alarm statistics, vehicle inventory, personnel roster, and fire prevention statistics.
(5) 
The job description and duties of the Fire Chief may be found in the Port Washington Fire Department's Standard Operating Guidelines.
(6) 
The Fire Chief shall serve as the City's Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), as defined in § 224-12 of this Code.
B. 
Other officers and Fire Department personnel. All Fire Department officers shall assist the Fire Chief in the discharge of the Chief's duties, and in the event of the Fire Chief's absence or disability to act, shall have all the powers of the Fire Chief, in their order of rank. The job descriptions and duties of other Fire Department officers and personnel may be found in the Port Washington Fire Department's Standard Operating Guidelines.
C. 
Engineers. Fire Department Engineers shall keep all the equipment and apparatus of the Fire Department in good condition and repair. They shall be paid such salaries as fixed by the Common Council. Engineers shall be required to submit weekly and monthly reports to the Fire Chief as to the status of all Fire Department apparatus and equipment.
D. 
Temporary Deputy Fire Chief. The primary duty of the Temporary Deputy Chief shall be to assist a new Chief during a transitional period following the appointment of the new Chief, and to perform such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the new Chief. The Temporary Deputy Fire Chief shall hold office for a term not to exceed 60 days immediately following the appointment of a new Fire Chief, as determined by the Police and Fire Commission, and shall be paid compensation in such amount or at such rate as shall be fixed by the Common Council.
A member who has served 20 years with the Fire Department may retire as an active member from the Department, or may be retired on motion of the Board of Police and Fire Commissioners after such member has become disabled or if after a medical examination the member is found physically unable to carry out their required duties. Upon such retirement or upon retirement by action of the Board, the retiring member shall, by exercise of the member's option, elect such retirement benefits, including, but not limited to, life insurance and/or cash payment, as may be available and for which the retiring member is eligible under the Wisconsin Statutes, and the City's human resources policies and employee handbook then in effect.