[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of
Iron Ridge as §§ 3-2-1, 3-2-3, 3-2-5, 3-2-9 of the
1986 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Recognition. The Iron Ridge Volunteer Department is hereby officially
recognized and the duty of conducting the Fire Department is hereby
delegated to such organization, and its organization and internal
regulations shall be governed by the constitution and bylaws of that
organization, insofar as they do not conflict with the provisions
of this chapter.
B.
Bylaws. The Iron Ridge Volunteer Department is hereby authorized
and directed to adopt bylaws for the control, management and government
and for the regulation of business and proceedings of the Department.
C.
Contract. The Village Board will appropriate an amount of funds through
a signed contract to help defray operational expenses. However, in
return the Village Board expects the contracted Fire Dept. to maintain
efficiency, annual financial responsibility, and properly protect
life and property from fire. The Village Board or its appointed committee
shall first try to negotiate a fire contract in good faith with the
Iron Ridge Volunteer Fire Department for the fire protection of its
residents. However, if the Village Board feels that a contract cannot
be reached the Village Board may feel it necessary to take further
action.
[Amended by December 1996]
D.
Compensation. The officers and members of the Fire Department shall
receive such compensation from the Village as may from time to time
be fixed by the Village Board.
A.
Police authority at fires.
(1)
The Chief and assistants or officers in command at any fire are hereby
vested with full and complete police authority at fires. Any officer
of the Department may cause the arrest of any person failing to give
the right-of-way to the Fire Department in responding to a fire.
(2)
The Fire Chief may prescribe certain limits in the vicinity of any
fire within which no persons, excepting firemen and policemen and
those admitted by order of any officer of the Department, shall be
permitted to come.
(3)
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 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 Department during the progress of a fire.
B.
Fire inspection duties.
[Amended 7-1-2019 by Ord.
No. 3-2019]
(1)
Chief to be inspector. The Chief of the Fire Department shall hold
the office of Fire Inspector, with power to appoint one or more Deputy
Fire Inspectors, who shall perform duties and have the same powers
as the Fire Inspector.
(2)
Fire prevention inspections. The Chief of the Fire Department shall
be responsible for having all public buildings and places of employment
inspected 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 fire hazards or to the prevention of fires.
(3)
Removal of hazards. Whenever or wherever in the Village any inspection
by the Fire Chief or deputies reveals a fire hazard, the Chief or
deputies shall serve a notice in writing upon the owner of the property
giving said owner a reasonable time in which to remove the hazard.
If the fire hazard is not removed within the time allowed, it shall
be deemed a public nuisance. The Fire Chief or deputy may have the
same removed by the Village and cost of such removal shall be recovered
in an action by the Village against the owner of the property.
(4)
Records and reports. The Chief shall keep a written record of each
property inspected which shall conform to the requirements of the
Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.
(5)
Right to access. No person shall deny the Chief or deputies free
access to any property within the Village at any reasonable time for
the purpose of making fire inspections. No person shall hinder or
obstruct the fire inspectors in the performance of their duty or refuse
to observe the lawful direction given by them.
(6)
Disclaimer on inspection. The purpose of inspections under this section
is to comply with the fire inspections of the state codes.[1] The inspections and the reports, findings, and orders
issued after such inspection are not intended as, nor are they construed
as, a guarantee. The findings of the inspections are intended to report
conditions of noncompliance with Code provisions that are readily
apparent at the time of inspection. The inspection does not involve
a detailed examination of the mechanical systems or the closed premises.
The Village makes no warranty or representation, expressed or implied,
that its inspection of the property has discovered all fire code violations
or all fire hazards or that the report contains a complete list of
all fire code violations existing on the property inspected.
C.
Penalty provisions.
[Amended 7-1-2019 by Ord.
No. 3-2019]
(1)
General penalty. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, any
person who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall,
on conviction of such violation, forfeit a sum of not less than $100,
together with the costs of prosecution.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. III)]
(2)
Continued violation. Each violation and each day a violation continues
or occurs shall constitute a separate offense. Nothing in this chapter
shall preclude the Village from maintaining any appropriate action
to prevent or remove a violation of any provision of this chapter.
(3)
Execution against defendant's property. Whenever any person fails
to pay any forfeiture and costs of prosecution on the order of any
court for violation of any ordinance of the Village, the court may,
in lieu of ordering imprisonment of the defendant, or after the defendant
has been released from custody, issue an execution against the property
of the defendant for such forfeiture and costs.
It shall be lawful for any fireman while acting under the direction
of the Fire Chief or other officer in command to enter upon the premises
adjacent to or in the vicinity of any 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 firemen in the discharge
of his duty as is hereinbefore provided, the person so offending shall
be deemed guilty of resisting firemen in the discharge of their duty.
A.
The Fire Chief shall have control of all apparatus used by the Department
and shall be responsible for its proper maintenance. Emergency repairs
may be authorized by the Chief.
B.
No apparatus shall be used for any purpose except for fire fighting
within the Village limits, or in training therefor, except pursuant
to an agreement approved by the Village Board after the Chief has
given his recommendations on such use. With the approval of the Chief
such apparatus may be used for emergency purposes other than firefighting
within the Village. A written report of all such uses shall be made
quarterly to the Village Board.
