The Fire Department shall consist of a chief appointed by the city manager and such firefighters and other officers and employees as shall be authorized by the city manager.
(1966 Code, sec. 15-123; 2001 Code, sec. 50-31)
(a) 
The chief of the Fire Department shall, subject to the approval of the city manager, have exclusive control of the stationing and transferring of all firefighters and other officers and employees in the department. He shall be vested with the disciplinary power of the department.
(b) 
The chief of the Fire Department shall also be charged with the duty of seeing that all ordinances passed affecting the department and that all state laws in regard thereto are rigidly enforced.
(1966 Code, sec. 15-124; 2001 Code, sec. 50-32)
(a) 
The following positions in the fire department are classified under civil service compliance with V.T.C.A., Local Government Code, section 143.021:
Classification Title
Number of Positions
Firefighter Trainee
As required
Firefighter
76
Fire Equipment Operator
39
Fire Lieutenant
29
Fire Captain
16
Fire Battalion Chief
5
Deputy Fire Chief
1
(b) 
No other person employed by the city may be classified as holding a position under civil service with the fire department.
(1966 Code, sec. 15-127; 2001 Code, sec. 50-34; Ordinance 93-2000, sec. 1, adopted 9/19/00; Ordinance 96-2005, sec. 1, adopted 12/6/05; Ordinance 87-2007, sec. 1, adopted 10/2/07; Ordinance 3-2008, sec. 1, adopted 1/15/08; Ordinance 60-2008, sec. 1, adopted 9/16/08; Ordinance 78-2009 adopted 10/20/09; Ordinance 44-2014 adopted 9/16/14; Ordinance 56-2022 adopted 11/15/2022; Ordinance 05-2023 adopted 2/7/2023; Ordinance 27-2024 adopted 6/18/2024; Ordinance 55-2024 adopted 10/15/2024; Ordinance 22-2025 adopted 5/20/2025; Ordinance 61-2025 adopted 11/18/2025)
All necessary equipment and property for effective firefighting may be maintained and distributed according to fire hazards. The chief of the Fire Department shall be charged with the control of all buildings, quarters, motor vehicles and equipment used by the department.
(1966 Code, sec. 15-125; 2001 Code, sec. 50-35)
(a) 
The following fees shall be assessed and collected for the use or presence of equipment and supplies in Fire Department responses to open burning permit supervision, vehicle fires and accidents, hazardous material spills and releases, and low water crossing rescues and rescue attempts:
(1) 
For each response to an incident scene involving at least one fire apparatus (engine, truck, rescue/hazmat, manpower squad, command vehicle, mini-pumper): Amount provided by separate ordinance, with a one-day minimum;
(2) 
The actual cost of any consumable used or partly used for the mitigation of any hazardous materials spill or release; and
(3) 
The actual cost of repairing or replacing any nonconsumable item damaged during attempts to mitigate an incident covered under this section.
(b) 
If a vehicle that is the subject of a response is covered by an automobile insurance policy, the occupants of said vehicle will not be billed in accordance with this section for the response, and the responsible vehicle’s insurance company will instead be billed for that response.
(Ordinance 53-2010, sec. 1, adopted 9/21/10; Ordinance 69-2011, sec. 2, adopted 12/6/11)