[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 541]
The Emmaus Volunteer Fire Department shall be comprised of vehicles,
equipment and volunteers from the pre-existing Fire Department of
the Borough of Emmaus, and any additional equipment or manpower which
may hereafter be specified by Borough Council.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 542]
The Fire Department of the Borough of Emmaus is established
for the purpose of fighting and extinguishing fires, performing rescue
and salvage activities, protecting the residents of the Borough and
performing such other activities as may be designated by proper Department
authorities and Borough Council.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 543]
In addition to fighting fires, inside or without the Borough,
and traveling to and returning from such fires, the Emmaus Fire Department
and its members are authorized to answer any type of fire alarm or
call, inside or without the Borough of Emmaus and to engage in any
type of drill, training, ceremony, practice, test, parade or other
duty when duly authorized by the Fire Chief, or in his absence, by
his duly appointed assistant, deputy or other authorized officers
of the Fire Department.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 544]
1. The officers of the Emmaus Fire Department may consist of one Fire
Chief, three Assistant Fire Chiefs, three Deputy Fire Chiefs, three
Captains, three Lieutenants, one Engineer, as established by the Borough
Council. A Selection Committee composed of the General Administration
Committee of the Borough of Emmaus and the current Fire Chief will
meet and recommend candidates for those specifically enumerated officers
positions set forth above, except the Chief's position, which will
be recommended for selection to the Borough Council by the General
Administration Committee of the Borough of Emmaus.
2. The Borough Council shall appoint officers for one year terms to
the positions of Chief, Assistant Chief(s), Deputy Fire Chief(s),
Captain(s), Lieutenant(s) and Engineer, as they may deem appropriate,
who shall serve as at-will employees and appointees. In the absence
of the confirmation of a successor to a position, the person last
designated shall, unless suspended, continue to serve upon confirmation
of Borough Council, for periods which may be one year or less than
one year as determined by Borough Council. These persons may succeed
themselves in their offices if re-appointed by Council.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 545]
It shall be the duty of the Fire Chief or duly designated officers,
to attend all fires and alarms, and superintend and direct the operation
of the Fire Department. The Chief shall have full control of all firefighters
and apparatus, issue and enforce such orders as in his judgment may
be best calculated for the protection of property, the extinguishment
of fires and the welfare of the Department. The Chief shall enforce
all rules and regulations of the Department and Borough ordinances
pertaining thereto. At the end of each fiscal year, he shall report
to Council, a full statement of the condition of the Department during
the year, together with a statement of all fires occurring during
the year, the origin of same, of property destroyed and insurance
thereon, if any. If the Chief shall be absent from the Borough, or
a fire scene, an officer of the Department shall be designated to
act during the absence. The Fire Chief may delegate any of the aforementioned
duties to other officers.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 546]
1. The Fire Chief shall annually establish a roster of active fire-fighters
who shall constitute the Firefighting Team of the Emmaus Fire Department.
2. The Firefighting Team of the Emmaus Fire Department shall be under
the control and jurisdiction of the Fire Chief, who shall be accountable
to the Borough Manager and Council.
3. Persons 14-15 years of age may become Junior Firefighter Trainees,
and persons 16-17 years of age, may become Junior Firefighters. The
qualifications, training, duties and assignments of the Junior Trainees
and Junior Firefighters shall be determined by the Fire Chief, subject
to any restrictions by laws.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 547]
The Fire Official shall be designated by the appointing authority
of the Borough to aid in the enforcement of the provisions of the
Fire Prevention Code. He shall inspect all structures and premises,
except one or two family dwellings, as often as may be necessary for
the purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions
liable to cause fire, contribute to the spread of fire, interfere
with fire-fighting operations, endanger life or any violations of
the provisions or intent of the Fire Department Code or any ordinance
affecting fire safety, including the BOCA Code. He shall assist the
Fire Chief in the investigating of all fires in the Borough as to
origin and cause, and the Fire Official shall work with the Building
Official insofar as fire hazards are concerned.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 548]
The Mayor, Fire Chief, Police Officers of the Borough and members
of the Special Fire Police or any of them, shall have authority in
case of fire or emergency, to disperse all collections of idle or
disorderly persons and otherwise to preserve order and to prevent
the Commission of Offenses on such occasions; and to halt, divert
or reroute traffic, and it shall be a violation of this Part for any
person to fail to obey any order issued by authority of this section.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 549]
Every member on duty at fires shall render direct obedience
to the orders of the officers in charge under penalty of dismissal
from membership in the Firefighting Team of the Emmaus Fire Department.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 550]
The Borough may, at any time, by ordinance or resolution, adopt
such rules and regulations and standard operating procedures as it
shall deem expedient for the governing of the Fire Department, and
such rules and regulations shall be binding upon the Fire Department,
the companies constituting the same, and the members thereof. The
Fire Chief may also issue standing orders, orders of the day, and
standards operating procedure manuals for purposes of directing specific
firefighting activities and conduct of members of the Fire Department.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 551]
The Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs, Captains,
Lieutenants and Engineers shall, before assuming office, take and
subscribe to the oath required of Borough Officials.
[Ord. 887, 7/6/1999, § 552]
The annual salaries of the paid employees, and the stipends
and paid-on-call compensation, shall be designated annually by the
Borough Council after consideration of any recommendation which the
Fire Chief may provide.