[4-19-1988; 6-4-1991; 2-17-2016; 2016 Code]
(A) 
Fire department established. A department is hereby established to be known as the city of Monroe fire department. This department shall be responsible for the fire protection for the citizens and property within the city of Monroe.
(B) 
Goals of the fire department.
(1) 
The first and foremost objective of the fire department is to serve, without prejudice or favoritism, all of the community's citizens by safeguarding collectively and individually, their lives against the death dealing and injurious effects of fires and explosions.
(2) 
The second most important objective of the fire department is the safeguarding of the general economy and welfare of the community by preventing major conflagrations and the destruction by fire of large payroll, economically essential industries and businesses.
(3) 
The third objective of the fire department is to serve all of the community's citizens and property owners by protecting their individual material wealth and economic well being against the destructive effects of fire and explosions. In meeting this objective, all property deserves to have an equivalent degree of protection, commensurate with the actual property hazard involved and not with geographical location or monetary value.
(4) 
The fourth objective of the fire department is to provide a hazard and disaster mitigation service to the city with fire department manpower and equipment resources. Serious or imminent conditions posing a threat to life and property posed by storm, fire or other serious peril shall require fire department services to cause rapid mitigation of the hazard and facilitate recovery in conjunction with other emergency services.
(5) 
The fifth objective of the fire department shall be to perform services and emergency response as placed upon the Monroe fire department or fire departments as a matter of law or order of a court of law having jurisdiction.
(C) 
Council responsibilities. The council has three primary responsibilities relating to the fire department: the first is to encourage activities which will reduce the incidence of fires and resulting loss of life and property; the second and third are the provision of the necessary funds and the establishment of the scope and level of service provided by the fire department.
[4-19-1988; 6-4-1991; 3-5-2002; 3-20-2007; 2-17-2016; 2016 Code]
(A) 
The fire department shall consist of:
(1) 
One fire chief to be known as the chief of the fire department,
(2) 
One deputy or assistant fire chief, and
(3) 
Such other officers and firefighters as from time to time are approved by the city's board of police and fire commissioners.
(B) 
A fire chief shall be appointed by the city board of police and fire commissioners. The fire chief shall be appointed for an indefinite term and shall be removed only for cause according to rules and regulations adopted by the board of police and fire commissioners.
(C) 
The fire chief shall be selected based upon the individual's demonstrated qualifications in fire prevention, control and management.
[4-19-1988; 2-17-2016; 2016 Code]
The firefighters of the fire department shall receive such compensation as may be established from time to time by resolution passed by the council.
[4-19-1988; 12-20-2005; 2-17-2016; 2016 Code]
(A) 
The fire chief shall be responsible for the overall administration of the fire department.
(B) 
The fire chief shall be administratively responsible to the city administrator. The fire chief shall carry out proper planning, coordination and control within the fire department as well as with other departments of the city.
(C) 
The fire chief shall be responsible for the development of an organizational structure and related policies and procedures to carry out the goals of the department.
(D) 
The fire chief shall be responsible for the appointment, assignment and promotion of individuals to positions within the department under personnel policies of the city and section 62.13 of the Wisconsin statutes.
(E) 
The fire chief shall be responsible to develop a policy to provide and to operate with the highest possible levels of safety and health for department personnel. The prevention and reduction of accidents, injuries, and occupational illness are goals of the fire department and shall be primary consideration at all times. This concern for safety and health applies to all department personnel and to any other persons who may be involved in fire department activities.
(F) 
The fire chief shall be responsible for the development and administration of the annual fire department budget.
(G) 
The fire chief shall be responsible for identifying, negotiating, and drafting mutual aid agreements with agencies of other communities to measurably raise the degree of emergency preparedness to each community. Such agreements shall be submitted to the council for review and consideration for approval. Mutual aid agreements in effect at the time of adoption of this chapter are not affected by this chapter.
(H) 
The fire chief shall be responsible for maintaining liaison with other city departments on matters of importance to the goals of the fire department.
(I) 
The fire chief shall have command of all members of the department while they are on duty.
(J) 
The fire chief shall have the custody of all apparatus and equipment of the department, and it shall be the chief's duty to see that the apparatus and equipment receive proper care and are at all times maintained in a serviceable condition and ready for instant use.
(K) 
The chief shall perform all duties imposed upon the chief by the Wisconsin statutes and this code.
(L) 
At the end of each calendar year, the chief shall submit to the council a report on the operations of the fire department during the year, and his or her recommendations for maintenance, improvement and such other matters as relate to the effective operation of the department in the public interest.
(M) 
The fire chief shall be required to attend public safety committee meetings and any other special meetings upon request.
[4-19-1988; 2-17-2016; 2016 Code]
(A) 
The city fire frequency transmitter, radios and home fire alert units shall be under the control and management of the fire chief. He or she shall be responsible for the constant good repair and working of the same.
(B) 
The chief of the fire department shall have custody and control of all alert units and shall keep a record of all such units and shall take receipt for the same.
(C) 
The electric fire and civil defense alarm sirens shall be under the control and supervision of the city fire department who shall have entire care and management of the same. They shall be responsible for the constant good repair and working of the same.
[12-17-1991; 3-5-2002; 2-17-2016; 2016 Code; 9-5-2023]
(A) 
Fire inspectors. The chief of the fire department shall designate one or more fire inspectors who may or may not be firefighters of the Monroe fire department to exercise the powers and perform the duties prescribed by this chapter.
(B) 
Approval of appointment. The appointment shall be subject to the provisions of § 62.13, Wisconsin Statutes, and any such appointment may include service of a reasonable probationary period as permitted under § 62.13, Wisconsin Statutes.
(C) 
Compensation. Compensation of fire inspector or inspectors shall be established from time to time by resolution of the council.
(D) 
Inspection schedule. The fire chief may establish the schedule of fire inspections. The fire chief shall base the frequency of the inspections on hazard classification, the proportion of public area, the record of fire code violations, the ratio of occupancy to size and any other factor the chief considers significant. Property other than residential property with four dwelling units or less shall be inspected at least once per calendar year.
(E) 
Powers and duties.
(1) 
The fire inspectors are hereby given power and authority to enter any building in the city, except the interior of private dwellings, at any reasonable hour in the performance of their duties under this chapter. The fire inspectors may enter the interior of private dwellings at the request of the owner or renter as provided in § 101.14(1)(bm) of the Wisconsin Statutes.
(2) 
Fire inspectors shall inspect all business buildings in the city to determine the general character of the premises with respect to the disposition of debris, rubbish, wastepaper, rags, oils, waste, explosives and all kinds of inflammable material and the means of access from one part of the building to another, and they may inspect any building in the city to determine if any danger from fire exists by reason of defective chimneys, flues, stoves, ovens, furnaces, boilers, electric wiring, ash houses and receptacles or by reason of any cause.
(3) 
All parts of business buildings shall be cleaned daily and kept free from all inflammable waste material except that combustible material not in actual use may be neatly arranged in a manner to provide passageways and aisles for the convenient movement of the fire department force.
(4) 
All doors and openings, external and internal, in all business buildings shall be kept free from goods, and means of access and free movement shall be provided for the convenient work of the fire department.
(5) 
There shall be no waste rubbish, waste excelsior, waste shavings, wastepaper or other like inflammable materials left in any part of the business buildings over one day except that such materials may be stored within a fireproof room provided with standard fireproof doors and all material of such character shall be destroyed, removed or placed within such fireproof room at the close of each day.
(6) 
The term "business buildings" as used in this section includes hotels, lodging houses, stores, office buildings, warehouses, mills, breweries, factories and public buildings.
(7) 
If the fire inspectors, on such inspection, discover that any provisions of this chapter are being violated, the fire chief is hereby required to give notice thereof in writing to the owners or occupants of such building, requiring them to comply with the provisions of this chapter within 48 hours.
(8) 
If the fire inspectors, on such inspection, discover any danger from fire by reason of any defective condition set forth in Subsection (D)(2) of this section or from any other cause, the fire inspectors shall give notice in writing to the owner or occupants of any such building of such defects requiring them to make reasonable changes and repairs within 48 hours, and to render the premises as safe as possible from fire.
(9) 
A person who fails to comply with the requirements of any notice given under this section shall, upon conviction, be subject to a Class 3 forfeiture. A separate offense exists each calendar day during which any noncompliance occurs or continues.
[12-17-1991; 2-17-2016; 2016 Code]
(A) 
The fire official conducting operations to extinguish and control of any fire, explosion or other emergency shall have full power and authority to direct all operations of fire extinguishment or control and to take the necessary precautions to save life, protect property and prevent further injury or damage. In the pursuit of such operations, including the investigation of the cause of such emergency, the fire official may control or prohibit the approach to the scene of such emergency by any vehicle, vessel, aircraft or thing and all persons.
(B) 
No person shall obstruct the operations of the fire department while working to extinguish any fire, or while responding to other emergencies, or disobey any lawful command of the fire official in charge of the emergency, or any part thereof, or any lawful order of a police officer assisting the fire department.
(C) 
The fire official in charge of an emergency scene shall have the authority to establish fire line barriers to control access in the vicinity of such emergency, and to place or cause to be placed, ropes, guards, barricades or other obstructions across any street or alley to delineate such fire line barrier. No person, except as authorized by the fire official in charge of the emergency, may cross such fire line barriers.
(D) 
No person except a person authorized by the fire official in charge of any emergency scene or a public officer acting within the scope of public duty shall remove, unlock, destroy or tamper with or otherwise molest in any manner any locked gate, door barricade, chain, enclosure, sign, tag or seal which has been lawfully installed by the fire department or by its order or under its control.
(E) 
A person who violates any provision of this section shall be subject to a Class 2 forfeiture.
[4-19-1988; 4-4-1990; 12-17-1991; 2-17-2016; 2016 Code]
(A) 
No person shall knowingly give or cause to be given any false alarm of fire.
(B) 
A person who violates any provision of this section shall be subject to a Class 2 forfeiture.