(a) 
Offered; conditions.
(1) 
Subject to the terms and provisions of this section, there shall be a reward of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) to any person furnishing information to an agent of the city which leads to the arrest and indictment of any person or persons for the offense of arson within the corporate city limits.
(2) 
Only one reward shall be paid when the indictment of more than one person is for arson on one single occasion.
(3) 
No reward shall be paid to any person whose duty it is to enforce the law, including but not limited to law enforcement officers of the city, county, or state, or any other agent or employee of the city. No reward shall be paid if information furnished is already (as of the time said information is furnished) within the knowledge of any law enforcement officer or other agent of the city.
(4) 
The city manager shall be the judge of whether or not such information did lead to such arrest and indictment and whether or not the reward is due under the circumstances presented for the claim of the reward; the judgment of the city manager shall be final in such instances.
(b) 
Payment.
The reward provided in subsection (a) of this section is a standing offer and shall be paid out of the general fund of the city.
(2000 Code, secs. 11-1, 11-2)
Pursuant to Texas Penal Code, section 42.06, it shall be unlawful for any person to give or make, or cause to be given or made, any false alarm of fire within the city.
(2000 Code, sec. 11-3; Ordinance adopting Code)
The chief of the fire department shall have authority to and shall prescribe the manner in which all fireplugs shall be opened and closed. No person shall have authority to open or close any fireplug except the chief of the fire department or superintendent of waterworks or any member of the fire or waterworks department authorized by the chief of the fire department or superintendent of waterworks respectively.
(2000 Code, sec. 11-4)
(a) 
Designation.
The fire marshal or his designated representative is hereby authorized to designate adequate fire lanes and/or turnarounds to any building when deemed necessary for fire department access in the event of fire or other emergencies in such buildings. Such fire lane shall be designated only upon the agreement between the fire marshal and the property owner, manager or developer. In the event an agreement cannot be reached as to the location of any fire lane, the matter shall be presented to the building trades and fire code board of appeals, which shall make such designation.
(b) 
Signs and markings.
The owner, manager or person in charge of any building to which fire lanes and/or turnarounds have been designated by the fire marshal or his designated representative shall post and maintain appropriate signs in conspicuous places along such fire lanes or turnarounds stating “No Parking - Fire Lane” and one designating “Tow Away Zone.” The fire marshal or his duly authorized representative or the chief of police or his authorized representative is hereby authorized to cause such streets, fire lanes and turnarounds to be maintenance free and unobstructed at all times for fire department uses. “Appropriate signs” required in this section shall consist of red letters painted on a white background located along the sides of the fire lane easement as the fire marshal or his designated representative may determine. Those letters shall be not less than three (3) inches in height as to “No Parking,” not less than two (2) inches in height as to “Fire Lane,” and not less than one (1) inch in height as to “Tow Away Zone.” Fire lane markings shall be placed on both sides of the fire lane in accordance with this section, as deemed necessary by the fire marshal, fire chief, or his designee. In all respects to design, marking, maintenance or application, designated fire lanes shall be as described in the locally adopted fire code except as noted in this section. Appendix D, of the 2015 International Fire Code, copyright 2015, regarding fire apparatus access roads shall also apply.
(c) 
Parking in fire lanes prohibited.
(1) 
No person shall park or place or allow, permit or suffer to be parked or placed or to remain unattended any motor vehicle, trailer, boat, machinery or similar obstruction within or upon an area designated or dedicated as a fire lane and marked by an appropriate sign placed in a conspicuous place.
(2) 
If a motor vehicle, trailer, boat, machinery or similar obstruction is found parked, placed, or unoccupied within an area designated or dedicated as a fire lane as required by this section, the same is hereby declared a nuisance per se, and the fact that such motor vehicle, trailer, boat, machinery or similar obstruction is parked, placed, or is unattended or unoccupied in such manner as to obstruct in whole or in part any such fire lane shall be prima facie evidence that the registered owner unlawfully parked, placed or permitted to be parked or placed such obstruction within a fire lane.
(3) 
The records of the state department of highways and motor vehicle division, crime information center and/or National Crime Information Center showing the name of the person to whom the state highway license or out-of-state highway license or both are prima facie evidence of ownership by the named person.
(d) 
Issuance of citations and impoundment of obstructions.
(1) 
If any motor vehicle, trailer, boat, machinery or similar obstruction is found parked, placed or unattended in or upon a properly marked fire lane which has either been designated or dedicated as a fire lane, the fire marshal or his designated representative, or the police chief of his designated representative, is hereby authorized to issue a citation for such violation, charging the owner as defined in subsection (c) above. Such obstruction may be removed by towing it to such place as designated by the police department. Such vehicle or obstruction may be redeemed by payment of the towing and impounding fee and storage charges in the same manner and at the same rate as any vehicle impounded for illegal parking.
(2) 
No citation as provided for in subsection (1) above shall be voided by the redemption of the obstruction from the place of impoundment, nor shall the violator be relieved of any penalty assessed by a judge of the municipal court for a violation of any provision of this section.
(e) 
Abandonment or closure of fire lanes.
No owner, manager or person in charge of any premises served by a required fire lane shall abandon or close any such fire lane without written permission of the fire marshal.
(Ordinance 11-3540, sec. I (11-10), adopted 1/20/11; Ordinance adopting Code; Ordinance 16-3642, sec. I, adopted 10/25/16)
A report representing the fire department, the fire marshal and the emergency medical services shall be made annually and transmitted to the mayor and city council. Such report shall contain all proceedings under this chapter.
(Ordinance 21-3713, sec. 2, adopted 3/9/21)