(a) 
The members of the fire department shall be a chief, assistant chief, two captains, two lieutenants, together with other members, of a number of the city council determines will provide adequate staffing for the department. The chief and assistant chief shall be chosen by the members that make up said department and such choice shall be subject to the approval of the city council. They department shall consist of two regular organized fire companies and subordinate to the chief and assistant chief. Each of them shall be manned by a captain and lieutenant and such other men as the chief may direct. The captain and lieutenant of each of said companies shall be appointed by the chief and such appointment shall be subject to the approval of the city council. All officers so elected and approved shall be commissioned by the mayor. All members of said department shall perform such duties as may be prescribed from time to time by the orders of the city council, to be executed by the chief of the department.
(b) 
As soon as possible after the effective date of this article, the members of the fire department shall meet and effect their organization for the purpose of the good order and well-being of the department, the maintenance of harmony therein, and the full promotion of the organization; shall elect such officers as they may deem necessary for the purpose of establishing discipline and to maintain a perfect unity among themselves, as well as fully promoting the object for which the association is organized, and to adopt a constitution and by-laws that will be consistent with the ordinance of the city and the laws of the State of Texas. Said constitution and by-laws shall be subject to the approval of the city council, and any fire company or member thereof failing or refusing to comply with such constitution, laws, rules and regulations adopted by the said fire department and approved by the city commission shall forfeit the rights of said department, and to the use of apparatus in its charge, and such apparatus shall be taken charge of by the chief of said fire department until such company and members thereof shall comply with such laws, rules and regulations, or until another company shall have been regularly organized, at which time the chief at his discretion shall have the right to turn the said apparatus over to the newly organized company.
(c) 
The city council shall provide each member of said fire department a badge descriptive of the office in which said fireman is serving.
(d) 
The city council may, at its discretion, provide for the relief of members of the fire department temporarily or permanently, disabled in the discharge of their duties, and shall have the right to provide for the organization and administration of a pension fund to provide for old-disabled and infirm members of said department under such system, rules and regulations as may be deemed advisable whenever the finances of` the city will justify the undertaking of this service and subject to the laws of the State of Texas.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 10-1-1; Ordinance 392 adopted 5/10/01)
(a) 
The chief of the fire department shall be the executive officer of the department. It shall be his duty and that of his assistant to see that the laws, ordinances, orders, rules and regulations concerning the said department and the operation thereof are carried into full force and effect. It shall be the duty of the chief to enforce such rules and regulations made from time to time to secure discipline in said department. He shall have power to suspend any subordinate officers, members or employees for a violation of such rules and regulations and shall upon executing any such suspension, forthwith in writing, advise the city council of his reasons therefore. He shall diligently observe the condition of fire apparatus and workings of said department at all times, and shall report in writing at any time to the city council and make in connection with said equipment such recommendations as he may desire for the efficiency of said equipment and department. In the absence of the chief, the assistant chief shall assume the duties of the said office of chief of the department.
(b) 
It shall be the duty of the chief of the department and his assistant whenever a fire shall occur in the city to immediately report to the place of such fire and take proper measures for placing apparatus in the most advantageous position. The assistant chief, captains and lieutenants of the respective companies on arrival at a fire shall immediately report to the chief, provided that in the absence of the chief or assistant chief, the first captain to arrive at the fire shall be the person in command. When the chief shall arrive at a fire, he shall have sole command over all other officers, all members of the department and all other persons who may be present at the fire. He shall take all proper measures for extinguishing the fires and protection of property and for preservation of the laws of the state and ordinances of the city and regulations respecting fires.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 10-1-2)
Included in the personnel of the said fire department as hereinabove provided, said department shall contain such full-time paid employees or part-time paid employees as the city council may direct from time to time; that the hours of employment of the said members of the fire department and the compensation to be paid said members shall be fixed by the city council and subject to further orders of the city council.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 10-1-3)
Whenever any building in the city is on fire, it shall be lawful for the chief, or his assistant or acting chief, with the concurrence of the mayor, to direct such building, or other building, or building erection, fence or fences, which they may deem hazardous or likely to catch fire and communicate to other buildings, to be torn down or blown up or otherwise destroyed for the purpose of checking or otherwise extinguishing such fire, and that neither the city council or any individual member thereof, nor the chief of the department, assistant chief, or any members of the department, shall in any wise be held responsible for the damaging of property or the destruction thereof, that may occur by reason of the attempt of the department to extinguish any fire.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 10-1-4)
All moving apparatus under the fire department shall have the paramount right-of-way through all streets, thoroughfares, lanes, alleys, places and courts of the city when enroute to a fire and such apparatus, together with all other vehicles continuous thereto shall take and keep to the right hand side of the street unless the same be obstructed, in order to give the apparatus of the fire department the unobstructed use of the streets for the time being.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 10-1-5)
The fire department shall have the right, in time of fire, to place ropes or guards across all streets, thoroughfares, lanes or alleys on which shall be situated any building on fire, and at such other points as it may deem expedient and necessary and they members of said department who have been assigned by the chief for policing purposes shall prevent any and, all persons, except officers and members of the fire department and owners and occupants of such buildings endangered by the existing fires from entering the lines designated by ropes or guards.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 10-1-6)
The fire apparatus belonging to the city shall be kept in such place or places as the city council shall from time to time provide, and the company to which same may be assigned shall keep the said equipment in constant readiness for use.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 10-1-7)
(a) 
The officers mentioned in the preceding section shall be vested with full power and authority to command all persons present at any fire in the city to assist in the discharge of any duty under the supervision of such fire department in the extinguishment of same, or the removal and preservation of property, provided that the persons, shall not be bound to obey such officers unless the officers shall wear their badge of office, or unless his official title be known, or be made known to such persons.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons not a member of said fire department to interfere with, or in any manner hinder any member or employee of said fire department in the discharge of his duties as such.
(c) 
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons not a member of said fire department to handle, or in any way interfere, with any of the apparatus belonging to or used by said fire department, either at a fire or while traveling to or returning from a fire, or while standing in the fire department quarters, or at any time, unless such person or persons is requested to do so by an officer of said department.
(1986 Municipal Code, Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 10-1-9)