[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors
of the Township of Upper Providence 9-5-2017 by Ord. No. 564[1]. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 60.
Fire Code — See Ch. 80.
Fire and insurance claims — See Ch. 90.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 85,
Fire and Emergency Services, Department of, which comprised Art. I,
Fire and Emergency Services, adopted 7-16-2007 by Ord. No. 474; amended
in its entirety 4-6-2015 by Ord. No. 545; and Art. II, Recovery of
Costs, adopted 2-21-2017 by Ord. No. 560
The purpose of this chapter is as follows:
A.
To maintain an effective emergency response capability to natural
and man-made emergencies through planning and the efficient use of
manpower and equipment.
B.
To establish the Upper Providence Township Department of Fire and
Emergency Services and to create the position of Chief of Fire and
Emergency Services for the management and oversight of the department.
For purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have
the meanings given in this section, as follows:
All fire and EMS organizations servicing the Township of
Upper Providence with a primary response district within the municipal
boundaries of the Township and; who are situated outside of said boundaries.
These agencies shall be authorized through written agreements that
specify general operating parameters for services, primary response
district to be serviced, reporting requirements and other reasonable
conditions needed to effectuate such operations.
The Township of Upper Providence Department of Fire and Emergency
Services.
A.
The Department is hereby established to provide a basic and consistent
approach to the protection of lives and property in Upper Providence
Township, and to provide for and oversee consistent policies regarding
staffing, training, funding, capital purchases, response procedures,
operations and related items for all providers having primary response
districts within the municipal boundaries of the Township.
B.
The Department shall consist of the Chief of Fire and Emergency Services,
the Chief Fire Marshal, Deputy Fire Marshal(s), Assistant Fire Marshal(s),
the Emergency Management Coordinator, volunteer firefighters, full-
and part-time firefighters employed by Upper Providence Township,
other full-time Township employees who may be assigned to firefighting
duties as a secondary responsibility and other personnel designated
by the Board of Supervisors.
(1)
The Department shall also include all volunteer members of agencies
who provide fire, rescue or EMS services and; who are based within
the municipal boundaries of Upper Providence Township.
A.
The Department, and contract emergency service providers, are hereby
authorized to provide such services as determined by the Board of
Supervisors and outlined in their respective service agreements. These
services include, but are not limited to, fire prevention activities,
fire suppression activities, rescue services, emergency medical services,
hazardous materials incident responses, responses to natural or man-made
phenomena and other dangerous situations as called upon.
B.
The Department may respond to calls and provide services to municipalities
outside of the Township when requested as mutual or automatic aid
through the Montgomery County Emergency Dispatch Services.
(1)
No apparatus owned by the Township shall at any time be taken beyond
the municipal boundaries without the consent of the Chief of Fire
and Emergency Services for activities other than those dispatched
as mutual or automatic aid through the Montgomery County Emergency
Dispatch Services.
A.
Each contract emergency service provider shall operate under its
own organizational bylaws, which shall be in accordance with generally
accepted standards for similar organizations, with accounting procedures
recommended by the Department and approved by the Board of Supervisors
through the Township's auditors.
B.
The contract emergency service provider's chief officer, or
alternate, of each organization shall continue to be responsible for
the maintenance, efficiency, and conduct of their respective company's
personnel and equipment with respect to services provided within Upper
Providence Township.
A.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services shall be a duly sworn officer
of the Township, hired by the Township and as fully equipped as circumstances
permit.
B.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services shall have the authority
to establish policies and procedures for the Department, and contract
emergency service providers, such policies and procedures to be consistent
with this chapter.
C.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services, after consulting with the
Township Manager, shall be authorized to recommend disciplinary actions
for any volunteer member of the Department or contract emergency service
provider in violation of implemented policies and procedures. Said
discipline may include but not be limited to verbal or written reprimand
and/or suspension and/or permanent removal from responding to and
operating at fires and emergencies within the municipal boundaries
of Upper Providence Township.
D.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services shall be responsible for
determining proper dispatching of emergency units to any fire or emergency
and shall coordinate communications to and from Montgomery County
Emergency Dispatch Services regarding emergency assignments, and similar
matters.
E.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services shall be the designated
liaison between the Township elected officials, the Department, and
all contract emergency service providers.
F.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services, when on scene, shall have
the authority to assume the role of Incident Commander and shall have
direct oversight of the Department, the Office of the Fire Marshal,
the Office of Emergency Management and any and all related employees.
G.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services shall prepare at the request
of the Township Manager a budget for the annual operation of the Department
for approval by the Board of Supervisors.
H.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services shall, annually, render
a report to the Township Manager.
I.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services shall have earned a bachelor's
degree of art or science in fire department administration, fire science,
public policy or similar discipline. Additionally, the Chief of Fire
and Emergency Services shall meet the implemented training and certification
standards for the position of Fire Chief.
J.
The Chief of Fire and Emergency Services may be a standalone position
or a dual role position involving simultaneous employment such as
the Chief Fire Marshal or Deputy Fire Marshal as deemed appropriate
by the Township Manager.
A.
The Chief Fire Marshal shall be a duly sworn officer of the Township,
hired by the Township Manager and as fully equipped as circumstances
permit.
B.
The Office of the Fire Marshal shall consist of the Chief Fire Marshal,
Deputy Fire Marshal(s) and Assistant Fire Marshal(s), as appointed
and assigned.
C.
The Chief Fire Marshal, Deputy Fire Marshal(s) and Assistant Fire
Marshal(s) shall function as Fire Code Officials as provided for in
the adopted Township Fire Code, and shall enforce all laws, ordinances,
codes and regulations with respect to:
D.
Duties and responsibilities.
(1)
The Chief Fire Marshal, Deputy Fire Marshal(s) and Assistant Fire
Marshal(s) shall be duly sworn officers of the Township.
(2)
The Office of the Fire Marshal shall work in cooperation with the
Department of Planning and Zoning, and shall perform the following
duties:
(a)
Permitting of Fire-Code-related items in new construction;
(b)
Plan review of new construction and alterations and renovations
of existing systems;
(c)
Inspections of permitted commercial construction as it relates
to fire/life safety components;
(d)
Annual inspections of commercial properties;
(e)
Permitting of special events;
(f)
Service request processing of fire-related items; and
(g)
Review and comment on proposed developments.
(3)
The Fire Marshal's Office shall be responsible for the investigation
of the origin, cause and circumstances of fires and explosions that
occur within the Township's borders, in support of and in cooperation
with law enforcement.
(4)
The Fire Marshal's Office shall be responsible for overseeing
the collection and reporting of all statistical data as it relates
to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS). The Chief
Fire Marshal shall be the sole distribution officer for any and all
requested information as it relates to emergency incidents in the
Township.
(5)
Training required. The Chief Fire Marshal and Deputy Fire Marshal(s)
shall obtain, and maintain as current and in force, the following
certifications:
(a)
Pennsylvania Labor and Industry certification as a Building
Construction Code Official;
(b)
ICC Fire Inspector I and II;
(c)
ICC Fire Plans Examiner;
(d)
ICC Accessibility Inspector/Plans Examiner;
(e)
ICC Building Plans Examiner;
(f)
ICC Commercial Building Inspector;
(g)
ICC Commercial Mechanical Inspector;
(h)
NFPA 1021 certification as Fire Officer II;
(i)
NFPA 1033 certification as a Fire Investigator.
(6)
All Office of the Fire Marshal personnel, regardless of rank, shall
routinely respond to and operate at fires and emergencies as directed
by the Chief of Fire and Emergency Services.
A.
The Emergency Management Coordinator (the "Coordinator") shall be
appointed by the Township Board of Supervisors and confirmed by the
Governor upon the recommendation of the Chief of Fire and Emergency
Services. The Coordinator shall report to and work for the Chief of
Fire and Emergency Services as assigned by the Township Manager.
B.
The Coordinator shall be professionally competent and capable of
planning, effecting coordination among operating agencies of government
and controlling coordinated operations by local emergency preparedness
forces.
C.
The Office of Emergency Management shall consist of the Coordinator
and Deputy Coordinator, if assigned.
D.
Each appointed coordinator shall:
(1)
Attend and successfully complete the first phase of the career development
program as prescribed by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
within one year after appointment; and
(2)
Attend and successfully complete the second phase of the career development
program as prescribed by the agency within three years after appointment;
and
(3)
Attend basic and advanced seminars, workshops and training conferences
called by the state director and/or official having responsibility
for providing the coordinator with in-service training; and
(4)
All Office of Emergency Management personnel, regardless of rank,
shall routinely respond to and operate at fires and emergencies as
directed by the Chief of Fire and Emergency Services.
E.
Failure to attend the instruction described in Subsection D or failure to attend a prescribed training conference for a period of two consecutive years shall be cause for replacement.
F.
The Coordinator and Deputy Coordinator shall operate under the authority
of Title 35, Health and Safety, as amended.
The incident command structure to be used by the Department
and contract emergency service providers shall be the National Incident
Management System.
Each member within the Department, and contract emergency service
providers, shall be qualified to their position as outlined through
policy established by the Chief of Fire and Emergency Services.
A.
Appropriations may be made by the Board of Supervisors to any emergency
service organization as the Board of Supervisors may see fit.
B.
Any fire or emergency service agency, regardless of how defined in
this chapter, receiving annual funding from the Township shall enter
into a written agreement with the Township.
(1)
Failure to provide the required reporting and documentation in accordance
with these reporting requirements and other regulations of the Department
as outlined in any written agreement(s) will result in the forfeiture
of the allocated funding for that year.
