Pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 61.65(2)(a), the Village
has established the Village Fire Department to provide fire prevention
and protection services for the Village residents, visitors and investors.
The following is a list of definitions for the intent of consistency
and clarification of this code.
The Village Zoning and Planning Department and Building Inspectors.
Fire Commission of the Village.
The Suamico Fire Department.
The Suamico Fire Department Chief.
Uniform language to be inclusive of she/her.
An officer of the Suamico Fire Department.
To cease and desist work activity, to stop an action.
Village of Suamico.
Board.
(1)
Organizational Structure. The Department shall be made up of a combination
of volunteers and fire administrative staff as appropriated by the
Board and appointed according to the bylaws of the Fire Commission.
(2)
Fire Chief.
(a)
Job Description. The job description of the Fire Chief shall be adopted
by the Board. The Board reserves the right to amend the job description
as needed.
(b)
Appointment. The Commission shall appoint the Chief according to
the Wis. Stat. § 62.13 and the Commission's bylaws.
(c)
General Powers and Duties. The Chief shall enforce the Wisconsin
Statutes, the Wisconsin Administrative Code and this Code in matters
relating to fire prevention, code enforcement, public education and
fire suppression within the Village. It shall be the duty of the Chief
to direct the operation of the Department.
(d)
Presiding Officer. The Chief shall preside at all meetings of the
Department, call special meetings, preserve order, decide all points
of order that may arise, and enforce a rigid observance of the chapter
and the bylaws.
(e)
Command of Fire Fighting Operations. The Chief shall be present at
all fires, if possible, and have complete command and entire responsibility
of all fire fighting operations, plan the control of the same, direct
the action of the Department when it arrives at a fire, observe that
the Department does its duty, grant leaves of absence at a fire when
he may deem it proper, and see that the fire apparatus is kept in
proper condition at all times.
(f)
Reports to the Board. The Chief shall submit a written report to
the Board no later than September 1 of each year, at such time as
he deems desirable, relating to the conditions of various pieces of
apparatus and appurtenances, budget recommendations for the coming
year, the number of hydrants and the condition of the same, the number
of fires occurring since the previous report and the date of the same
and loss occasioned thereby, the total number of active members in
the Department, and resignations and expulsions from the Department.
He shall also report upon the drill and training program of the Department,
together with other pertinent information, including recommendations
for such improvements as he deems proper and necessary for the operation
of the Department.
(g)
Enforcement of Fire Prevention Ordinances. He shall enforce all fire
prevention ordinances of the Village and the state laws and regulations
pertaining to fire prevention and shall keep citizens informed on
fire prevention methods and on the activities of the Department.
(h)
Fire Incident Report. He shall keep a computerized record of every
incident to which the Department was called and shall enter in such
book the location of the fire, the time the alarm was received, the
cause of the fire, where the fire started, the cause of delay, if
any, in responding, the amount of insurance carried on buildings and
contents, estimated fire loss, the time the fire was extinguished,
the names of the men responding and general remarks.
(i)
Apparatus Inventory. He shall keep an inventory of all apparatus
and equipment and an inventory of all hose showing dates and results
of tests on each length, which shall be individually numbered.
(j)
Duties as Commanding Officer. He shall perform such other duties
as are usually incumbent on the commanding officer of the Fire Department.
(k)
Fiscal Responsibility. Every year the Chief shall file with the Administrator
a detailed estimate of the appropriations needed for the conduct of
the Department operations during the ensuing fiscal year.
(1)
Limited Access and Removal of Property. The Chief or his designee
may prescribe certain limits in the vicinity of any emergency incident
within which no persons, except firefighters and those admitted by
order of any officer of the department, shall be permitted to be present.
The Chief shall have the power to cause the removal of any property
whenever it shall become necessary for the preservation of such property
from fire or to prevent the spreading of fire or to protect the adjoining
property, and/or during the progress of any fire he shall have the
power to order the removal or destruction of any property necessary
to prevent the further spread of fire and the authority to preserve
evidence of suspected arson. He shall also have the power to cause
the removal of all wires or other facilities and to turn off of all
electricity or other services, where they impede the work of the department
during the progress of a fire or other hazardous situation.
(2)
Resistance to Operations. It shall be lawful for any firefighter
while acting under the direction of the Chief or any other officer
in command to enter upon the premises adjacent to or in the vicinity
of any building or other property on fire or in a hazardous environment
for the purpose of extinguishing fire or mitigating hazards. Any person
that hinders, resists or obstructs any firefighter in the discharge
of his duty as is hereinbefore provided, the person so offending shall
be guilty under Wis. Stat. § 941.12 and subject to a forfeiture
under the penalty portion of this ordinance, of resisting firefighters
in the discharge of their duty.
(3)
Damage to Department Property. No person shall willfully injure in
any manner any hose, hydrant or fire apparatus belonging to the Village.
No vehicle shall be driven over any unprotected hose of the department
when laid down on any street, private driveway or any other place,
to be used at any fire or alarm of fire, without the consent of the
Department officials in command of the emergency.
(4)
The Chief or his designee in command at any emergency incident shall
have full and complete police authority at fires as authorized under
Wisconsin Statute.
The Department shall investigate the cause, origin, and circumstances
of every fire occurring in the Village by which property has been
destroyed or damaged and, so far as possible, shall determine whether
the fire is the result of deliberate intent, carelessness or design.
Investigations shall begin immediately upon occurrence of a fire.
The Chief or his designee shall immediately take charge of the physical
evidence, shall further cooperate with local, county, state or federal
authorities in the collection of evidence and in the prosecution of
the case. Every fire shall be reported in writing to the Department
within 10 days after the occurrence of the same by the Department
Officer in command of the fire. The report shall be in the form prescribed
by the Chief and shall contain a statement of all facts relating to
the cause, origin, and circumstances of such fire, the extent of the
damage thereof, and the insurance upon such property, and such other
information as may be required, including the injury, death, or rescue
of persons.
Open record requests to the Department shall be filed with the Clerk and, with the exception of open record requests for fire reports, shall be completed by the Clerk according to the provisions of Wis. Stat. Ch. 19. The Chief shall be responsible for open records requests for fire reports with a copy to the Clerk.
The fire limits of the Village shall be the incorporated limits
of the Village as amended.
The Chief is hereby empowered to close any building or structure,
and order it vacated wherein violations of any regulations of this
chapter or any state or federal regulations are found and which said
violations constitute a continuing hazard to the public and are not
abated within a reasonable time.
