[R.O. 2012 § 203.010; CC 1981 § 205.010; Ord. No. 548 § 1, 6-9-1952]
The Fire Department shall be under the control and supervision
of the Board of Aldermen, except that all drill, instructions and
attendance at and fighting fires shall be under the exclusive control
and supervision of the Fire Department.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.020; CC 1981 § 205.020; Ord. No. 548 § 2, 6-9-1952]
The Fire Department shall consist of one (1) Chief of the Fire
Department and two (2) Assistant Chiefs and as many firemen as the
Board of Aldermen shall fix from time to time but at no time shall
the Department have less than twelve (12) members, including the Chief
and Assistant Chiefs. All officers and members of the Fire Department
shall regularly be present in the municipality and shall not be periodically
absent from the City of Portageville.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.030; CC 1981 § 205.030; Ord. No. 548 § 3, 6-9-1952]
Any person desiring to become a member of the Fire Department
shall submit an application in writing to the Chief. In case a vacancy
exists in the applicants to the members of the Fire Department and
upon approval by the member of the department by signing the membership
roll, his/her membership, however, shall be on a six (6) months'
trial basis, and after the end of six (6) months' trial, his/her
services shall be satisfactory, then he/she shall be a regular member
of the Department.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.040; CC 1981 § 205.040; Ord. No. 548 § 4, 6-9-1952]
The Board of Aldermen may, at any time, by a two-thirds (2/3)
vote of all its members, remove the Chief or Assistant Chiefs or either
of them from office.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.050; CC 1981 § 205.050; Ord. No. 548 § 5, 6-9-1952]
The Chief of the Department shall have power to adopt such rules
and regulations regarding the duties and activities of the Fire Department,
not inconsistent with the ordinances or the laws of the State, as
he/she may deem advisable, but such rules and regulations or changes
in such rules and regulations, before being effective, shall be approved
by the Board of Aldermen.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.060; CC 1981 § 205.060; Ord. No. 548 § 6, 6-9-1952]
It shall be the duty of the Fire Department to take charge of
all fire apparatus committed to its care and in case of fire to go
to the place of the fire with the apparatus and there work and manage
the same in the most effective manner until the fire is extinguished.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.070; CC 1981 § 205.070; Ord. No. 548 § 7, 6-9-1952]
The Chief of the Department shall be appointed by the Mayor,
with consent and approval of the Board of Aldermen, and his/her tenure
of office shall be at the pleasure of the Board of Aldermen for an
indefinite period of time. All other department and company officers
shall be appointed by the Chief of the Department with the consent
and approval of the members of the Fire Department.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.080; CC 1981 § 205.080; Ord. No. 548 § 8, 6-9-1952]
The Chief shall have power to preemptorily suspend or discharge
any member of the Department for violation of any rules or regulation
of the Department or disobedience of any superior officer while going
to, working at or returning from a fire. The suspended or discharged
member shall be deprived of all compensation and privileges of the
Fire Department during such suspension.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.090; CC 1981 § 205.090; Ord. No. 548 § 9, 6-9-1952]
Whenever the Chief of the Fire Department shall suspend or discharge
any member of the Fire Department, the suspended or discharged member
shall have a right to appeal to the members of the Department or to
such board as the members may appoint or select to hear and determine
such controversies. In the event of such an appeal, the discharged
or suspended member may present testimony and such facts as he/she
may see fit in resisting the order of suspension or discharge made
by the Chief. The Chief or other members of the Department may present
such testimony as they see fit to sustain the Chief's order of
suspension or discharge. The finding of the members of the Department
or the board it appoints or selects to hear such controversies shall
be final.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.100; CC 1981 § 205.100; Ord. No. 548 §§ 10 — 11, 6-9-1952]
A.
The Chief, or in his/her absence or inability to act, the Assistant
Chief or the ranking officer present, shall have sole and absolute
charge of all firefighting apparatus, of all members of the Fire Department
and of all other persons present at any fire. He/she shall direct
all operations necessary to the safety of life, for control and extinguishing
of the fire and the removal of endangered property. He/she shall have
power to call upon all able-bodied male persons over twenty-one (21)
years of age or upon the owner or driver of any team or motor vehicle
to assist the Fire Department or to assist in the removal of property
endangered by fire. He/she shall have power to cause an investigation
of the origin of any fire and to file information against any person
suspected of causing a fire in violation of the laws of the State.
He/she shall keep a true and correct list of all members of the Fire
Department showing dates of admission, suspension, withdrawal or expulsion
of each member. He/she shall keep a record of the fire alarms answered,
which record shall show the date, location, cause and loss resulting
and the members attending each fire. The Chief of the Fire Department
and all other members of the Department shall be sworn in as special
Police Officers and, while going to or working at a fire, shall have
the same powers as regular Police Officers; it being understood, however,
that only members of the Department who have served their six (6)
months' trial and have been elected to full membership shall
be sworn in as such Police Officers.
B.
During the progress of a fire, the Chief or members of the Fire Department
shall have power to order any fence, building or erection of any kind
torn down, demolished, blown up or otherwise removed if he/she or
they deem it necessary to prevent further spread of fire.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.110; CC 1981 § 205.110; Ord. No. 548 § 12, 6-9-1952]
The Chief shall report, in writing, to the Board of Aldermen
at the first regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen in April of
each year. This report shall show the amount and condition of the
firefighting apparatus, the equipment discarded during the year and
the disposition of the same, the total amount of money expended on
the Fire Department and for extinguishing fires, the number of fire
alarms responded to during the year, the number and kinds of buildings
in which fires occurred, the causes of fires and the total loss incurred
from fires, the names of members of the Fire Department in good standing
on April 1 and any recommended improvements to the Fire Department.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.120; CC 1981 § 205.120; Ord. No. 548 § 13, 6-9-1952]
The Chief shall call the entire Department together at least
once each month for the purpose of conducting suitable drills in the
operation and handling of equipment, first aid and rescue work and
all other matters generally accepted as having a bearing on good firemanship.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.130; CC 1981 § 205.130; Ord. No. 562 § 2, 6-4-1953]
The Chief, Assistant Chiefs and firemen of the Fire Department
shall receive such compensation as the Board of Aldermen shall by
ordinance fix from time to time.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.140; CC 1981 § 205.140; Ord. No. 548 § 25, 6-9-1952]
In the event any part of the firefighting equipment is taken
outside the City limits of the City of Portageville or to any neighboring
town, at least one (1) fire truck must be left at the City Hall for
use during the absence of other equipment taken from the City and
at least three (3) firemen must stand by with said remaining fire
truck to answer any alarm.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.150; CC 1981 § 205.150; Ord. No. 280 §§ 1 — 2, 3-7-1927]
It shall be unlawful for any person other than a fireman or
member of the City Fire Department to climb on or ride on the City
fire truck at any time, whether being used in going to or returning
from fires or when used for other purposes or to interfere with the
City firemen while in discharge of their duties. It shall be the duty
of the City firemen to see that the provisions of this Section are
strictly complied with.
[R.O. 2012 § 203.160; CC 1981 § 205.160; Ord. No. 279 §§ 1 — 2, 1-6-1927]
A.
It shall be the duty of the Chief of the Fire Department to inspect
or cause to be inspected by Fire Department officers or members, as
often as may be necessary but not less than twice a year, all buildings,
premises and public thoroughfares, except private dwellings, for the
purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any conditions
liable to cause fire or any violations of the provisions or intent
of any ordinance of the City effecting the fire hazard.
B.
Whenever any officer or member shall find in any building or upon
any premises or other place combustible or explosive matter or dangerous
accumulation of rubbish or unnecessary accumulation of waste paper,
boxes, shavings or any other highly inflammable materials especially
liable to fire and which is so situated as to endanger property or
shall find obstructions to or on fire escapes, stairs, passageways,
doors or windows liable to interfere with the operations of the Fire
Department or egress of occupants in case of fire, he/she shall order
the same to be removed or remedied and such order shall forthwith
be complied with by the owner or occupant of such premises or buildings,
subject to appeal within twenty-four (24) hours to the Mayor, who
shall within ten (10) days review such order and file his/her decision
thereon, and unless the order is revoked or modified, it shall remain
in full force and be obeyed by such owner or occupant.
C.
Any owner or occupant failing to comply with such order within ten
(10) days after said appeal shall have been determined or, if no appeal
is taken, then within ten (10) days after the service of said order
shall be liable to a penalty as hereinafter stated.
D.
The service of any such order shall be made upon the occupant of
the premises to whom it is directed by either delivering a true copy
of same to such occupant personally or by delivering the same to and
leaving it with any person within charge of the premises or, in case
no such person is found upon the premises, by affixing a copy thereof
in a conspicuous place on the door to the entrance of the said premises.
Whenever it may be necessary to serve such an order upon the owner
of premises, such order may be served either by delivering to and
leaving with the said person a true copy of said order or, if such
owner is absent from the jurisdiction of the officer making the order,
by mailing such copy to the owner's last known post office address.
