[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of
Sullivan 8-22-2006 (§§ 5-2-1,
5-2-3, 5-2-5 and 5-2-12 of the 2006 Code of Ordinances). Amendments
noted where applicable.]
The primary objective of the fire defense program is to serve all
citizens, without prejudice or favoritism, by safeguarding, collectively
and individually, their lives against the effects of fires and explosions.
The second objective of the fire defense program is to safeguard
the general economy and welfare of the community by preventing major
conflagrations and the destruction by fire of industries and businesses.
The third objective of the fire defense program is to protect the
property of all citizens against the effects of fire and explosions.
All property deserves equal protection, regardless of location or
monetary value.
Fire department recognized. The Sullivan Volunteer Fire Department
is hereby officially recognized as the Fire Department of the Village
of Sullivan, and the duties of the firefighting and the prevention
of fires in the Village is delegated to such Department.
Appropriations. The Village Board shall appropriate funds to provide
for Fire Department operations and for such apparatus and equipment
for the use of the Fire Department as it may deem expedient and necessary
to maintain efficiency and properly protect life and property from
fire.
Equipment use. No person, group, or organization may use for any
reason equipment or property owned by the Village of Sullivan, unless
they are a member of the Fire Department and have signed the oath
in Article XIX of the Department Bylaws.
The Chief and assistants or officers of the Department in command
at any fire are hereby vested with full and complete police authority
at fires. Any officer of the Sullivan Volunteer Fire Department may
cause the arrest of any person failing to give the right-of-way to
the Fire Department in responding to a fire.
The Fire Chief may prescribe certain limits in the vicinity of any
fire within which no persons, excepting firefighters and police officers
and those admitted by order of any officer of the Fire Department,
shall be permitted to come.
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 during the progress of any fire he/she shall have the
power to cause the removal of all wires or other facilities and the
turning off of all electricity or other services where the same impedes
the work of the Fire Department during the progress of a fire.
The Fire Chief, or the Chief's designee, shall be the Fire Inspector
of the Village of Sullivan and shall have the power to appoint one
or more Deputy Fire Inspectors and shall perform all duties required
of the Fire Inspectors by the laws of the state and rules of the Department
of Safety and Professional Services, particularly § 101.14,
Wis. Stats.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. III)]
While acting as Fire Inspector pursuant to § 101.14(2),
Wis. Stats., the Fire Chief, or any officer of the Sullivan Volunteer
Fire Department designated by the Fire Chief, shall have the right
and authority to enter any building or upon any premises in the Village
of Sullivan at all reasonable hours for the purpose of making inspections
or investigations which, under the provisions of the Village Code,
he/she may deem necessary. Should the Fire Inspector find that any
provisions of this Code relating to fire hazards and prevention of
fires are being violated, or that a fire hazard exists which should
be eliminated, it shall be his/her duty to give such directions for
the abatement of such conditions as he/she shall deem necessary, and,
if such directions are not complied with, to report such noncompliance
to the Village Board for further action.
The Chief of the Sullivan Volunteer Fire Department is required,
by himself/herself or by officers or members of the Fire Department
designated by him/her as Fire Inspectors, to inspect all buildings,
premises and public thoroughfares, except the interiors of private
dwellings, for the purpose of ascertaining and causing to be corrected
any conditions liable to cause fire, or any violations of any law
or ordinance relating to the fire hazard or to the prevention of fires.
Such inspections shall be made at least once in six months in all
of the territory served by the Fire Department, and not less than
once in three months in such territory as the Village Board has designated
or thereafter designates as within the Village or as a congested district
subject to conflagration, and more often as the Chief of the Fire
Department orders. Each six-month period shall begin on January 1
and July 1.
Written reports of inspections shall be made and kept on file in
the office of the Chief of the Fire Department in the manner and form
required by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. A
copy of such reports shall be filed with the Fire Chief.
Fire Inspectors Handbook. The Fire Inspectors Handbook, Department
of Safety and Professional Services, is hereby adopted and made part
of this Code by reference.
Entering adjacent property. It shall be lawful for any firefighter,
while acting under the direction of the Fire Chief or any other officer
in command, to enter upon the premises adjacent to or in the vicinity
of a building or other property then on fire for the purpose of extinguishing
such fire, and in case any person shall hinder, resist or obstruct
any firefighter in the discharge of his/her duty as is hereinbefore
provided, the person so offending shall be deemed guilty of resisting
firemen in the discharge of their duty.
Destruction of property to prevent the spread of fire. During the
progress of any fire, the Fire Chief or his/her assistant shall have
the power to order the removal or destruction of any property necessary
to prevent the further spread of fire, provided that it is inevitable
that, unless such property is removed, other property is in danger
of being destroyed by fire.
Purpose and authority. This section is enacted pursuant to the authority
of § 66.0608, Wis. Stats., for the purpose of authorizing
volunteer funds to be held in the name of the Sullivan Volunteer Fire
Department. This section is to be interpreted in conformance with
that statute, as it may be amended from time to time.
Adoption of authorization. The Sullivan Village Board does hereby
authorize the Fire Chief to deposit volunteer company funds of the
Fire Department in an account in the name of the Sullivan Volunteer
Fire Department in any public depository in which other Village funds
are being held by the Village Clerk-Treasurer or designee.
Control of funds. The Sullivan Volunteer Fire Department through
its Fire Chief is granted exclusive control over the expenditure of
volunteer company funds of the Fire Department. This authority is
granted without limitation as to amount or type of funds. It is subject
to the limitations and requirements hereinafter set forth.
Expenditures. Expenditures withdrawn from the account may be made
only upon majority vote of Sullivan Volunteer Fire Department members
present at a duly noticed meeting of the Fire Department. Such withdrawals
and expenditures may be made for any purpose that promotes the ability
of the Fire Department to provide services for which it is organized.
Accountings. The Fire Chief shall provide the Village with a quarterly
statement at the end of March, June, September and December of each
calendar year. The statements shall be provided within 30 days of
the end of the calendar quarter. The statements shall include a detailed
itemization of all receipts, expenditures, and the balance on hand
at the end of the quarter. The source of all funds and the identity
of the payee for each disbursement shall be set forth.
Audit. Sullivan Volunteer Fire Department accounts authorized by
this section shall be included in any audit of Fire District funds.
They shall be audited in the same manner as other Fire District funds.