[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. II)]
In accordance with the provisions of Section 3.9 of the Charter, a Fire & Rescue Department is hereby established in the City, to be known as the "Westbrook Fire & Rescue Department."
[Amended 11-7-1967; 1-15-1979; 9-26-2005]
A.
The Department shall consisted of a permanent Chief of the Department,
two assistant engineers to be known as "deputy chiefs," and as many
firefighters/EMS providers as the Council shall from time to time
deem necessary.
B.
The two assistant engineers mentioned in Subsection A shall be appointed by the Mayor to serve for three-year terms on the Board of Engineers, which shall consist of the Chief and the two assistant engineers, and they shall receive certificates of their appointments. Such appointments shall be for staggered terms, and except to fill a vacancy, no more than one appointment shall be made in any one year. However, upon the adoption of this chapter, the appointment of the first engineer shall be for three years and the appointment of the second engineer shall be for two years, with all subsequent appointments, except to fill a vacancy, to be for full three-year terms.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
A.
The assistant engineers appointed by the Mayor to the Board of Engineers
shall, after being duly qualified, meet and organize with the Chief
of the Department.
B.
A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
C.
In the absence of the Chief of the Department, the engineer next
in rank shall be presiding officer.
D.
The Board may appoint a secretary and other officers, and may make
such rules and regulations for its own government as it deems expedient;
subject, however, to the approval of the Council.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
The Board of Engineers may make such rules and regulations for
the government of the Fire & Rescue Department and for the extinguishing
of fires as it may from time to time deem expedient; the same shall
not be repugnant to the laws of the state and shall be subject to
the approval of the Council.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
The Board of Engineers shall at all times have the superintendence
and control of all buildings, furniture and apparatus used for the
purpose of the Fire & Rescue Department, over the officers and
members of the several companies attached to the Department, and over
all persons present at fires.
A.
A majority of the Board of Engineers shall have full power to suspend
from duty any company that shall willfully neglect or refuse to perform
its duty, or shall be guilty of disorderly conduct, or of disobedience
of orders of either of the engineers or for the violation of any of
the rules and regulations of the Fire & Rescue Department.
B.
It shall also have full power to suspend, for sufficient cause, any
officer or member of the Department; and when such company officer
or member shall have been suspended, the facts in the case shall be
immediately reported to the Council for final action.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
A.
It shall be the duty of the Board of Engineers, at such times as
it may deem expedient, to examine or cause to be examined such premises
where fire is at any time used, and where danger is anticipated; to
examine into all places where shavings or other combustible materials
or ashes may be collected or deposited; and to direct such alterations,
repairs or removal to be made in such cases as may be required whenever,
in the opinion of the Board, they may be considered dangerous to the
security of any portion of the City from fire.
B.
In the case of the neglect or refusal of the owner or occupant of such building to make or commence to make such alterations, repairs or removal within 48 hours after notice, the Board may cause the same to be done at the expense of the owner or occupant. If such owner or occupant shall neglect or refuse to pay such expense, he shall be subject to the general penalty provisions of § 1-8 of this Code.
[Amended 9-26-2005; at
time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II)]
The Chief of the Department or his designee shall make strict
and thorough investigation into the causes of all fires, and the results
of such investigations shall be kept.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
Whenever it shall be determined at any fire by a majority of
the Board of Engineers present, one of whom shall be the Chief, if
present, to prevent the spread of a fire, the same may be done by
their joint orders, and they shall have the sole and absolute control
of all streets, lanes, sidewalks and squares in the vicinity of such
fire, and may close up such places or exclude persons or vehicles
from passage through for such length of time as may be necessary for
the preservation of order and for the extinguishing of fires.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
The Chief of the Department shall direct all proper measures
for the extinguishing of fires, protection of property, preservation
of order and observance of the rules and regulations of this chapter.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
The Chief of the Department shall have control of all the engineers
and all other persons attached to the Fire & Rescue Department.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
It shall be the duty of the Chief of the Department to examine
or cause to be examined the condition of the apparatus and buildings
used by the Department, and of the companies attached thereto, as
often as circumstances may render it expedient, or whenever directed
by the Council or the public safety, and annually report the same
to the Council.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
The Chief of the Department shall annually report an account
of the loss by fire, as near as can be estimated, to the Council.
[Amended 11-19-1963]
The Chief of the Department or his duly authorized representative,
upon request for aid from a duly authorized representative of a municipal
or incorporated volunteer fire department of any other municipality
within the state, is hereby authorized to send to such other municipal
or incorporated volunteer fire and/or EMS department such equipment
or personnel belonging to the Westbrook Fire & Rescue Department
of the City as he shall deem feasible for the purpose of rendering
aid in extinguishing a fire within such other municipality.
[Amended 11-19-1963; 9-26-2005]
A.
In the event that the Westbrook Fire & Rescue Department shall
request and receive aid as provided in the preceding section from
a municipal or incorporated fire department of the aiding municipality
shall have the same privileges and immunities as if acting in their
own municipality.
B.
When the members of the Westbrook Fire & Rescue Department render
such aid to another municipality, they shall have the same privileges
and immunities as if acting in the City of Westbrook.
[Amended 11-19-1963; 9-26-2005]
The Mayor, with the approval of the Council, is hereby authorized
to execute an agreement for and on behalf of the City with any other
municipality enacting a similar ordinance agreeing to provide such
aid upon request to a municipal or incorporated volunteer fire and/or
EMS department of such other municipality.
[Amended 9-26-2005]
No person shall willfully or maliciously give or cause to be
given a false alarm of fire by outcry or by telephone system.
