[HISTORY: Adopted by the Village Board of the Village of
Centuria 3-13-2006 as §§ 5-2-1,
5-2-3, 5-2-5, 5-2-12 of the 2006 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Goals of the fire defense program.
(1)
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.
(2)
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.
(3)
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.
B.
Fire Department recognized. The Centuria Volunteer Fire Department
is hereby officially recognized as the Fire Department of the Village
of Centuria, and the duty of the firefighting and the prevention of
fires in the Village is delegated to such Department. Its organization
and internal regulation shall be governed by the provisions of this
chapter and by such bylaws adopted by the Department as are approved
by the Village Board, except as is otherwise provided by law and ordinance.
C.
Bylaws. The Centuria Fire Department shall adopt bylaws for the control,
management and government of and for regulating the business and proceedings
of the Department, which bylaws, after adoption by a 2/3 vote of the
members of the Department, shall not become effective until approved
by the Village Board. Amendments shall be adopted in the same manner.
D.
Appropriations. The Village Board shall appropriate funds to provide
for operation 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.
E.
Organization.
(1)
Composition. The Fire Department shall consist of the following officers:
one Chief; a First and Second Assistant Chief; and a Secretary-Treasurer,
together with one master mechanic and as many drivers and firefighters
who are residents or employed within the Centuria Fire District as
may be appointed by the Chief, provided at no time shall the Department
consist of less than 22 active members.
(2)
Active membership. Active membership in the Department for members
other than the Chief shall cease at 55 years of age unless the Department
shall, by a majority vote, approve of the person continuing as an
active member. Upon reaching age 55, active members shall become honorary
members and be assigned to lighter duties.
(3)
Membership.
(a)
Application for membership. Any person desiring to be a member
of the Fire Department may file with the Secretary an application
in such form as the Fire Department may require. Each applicant shall
also file a certificate of physical fitness from such physician as
the Chief may designate.
(b)
Resignations. All resignations from the Department shall take
the same course as applications for and appointments to membership.
(5)
Election of officers. The election of the Secretary-Treasurer and
such social officers as the bylaws may require shall be held at the
annual meeting of the Department in such manner as is provided in
the bylaws. In case of any vacancy, the Chief shall appoint a member
in good standing to fill the office until the next annual election.
F.
Powers and duties of Chief.
(1)
General supervision. The Chief shall have the general supervision
of the Department, which supervision shall be subject to and not conflict
with this chapter and the bylaws of the Department. The Chief shall
be responsible for the safety of the members of the Department.
(2)
Presiding officer. The Chief shall preside at all meetings of the
Department, call special meetings, preserve order, decide all points
of order that may arise and enforce a rigid observance of this chapter
and bylaws.
(3)
Command of firefighting operations. The Chief shall be present at
all fires, if possible, and have complete command and entire responsibility
of all firefighting operations, plan the control of the same, direct
the action of the Department when it arrives at the fire, observe
that the Department does its duty, grant leaves of absence at a fire
when he/she may deem it proper, and see that the fire apparatus is
kept in proper condition at all times.
(4)
Disciplinary actions. The Chief may demote or expel any officer or
member of the Department for neglect or refusal to perform his/her
departmental duties or for nonresidence, subject to an appeal from
such demotion or expulsion to the Village Board.
(5)
Department budget. Not later than October 1 of each year, the Chief
shall file with the Village Clerk-Treasurer a detailed estimate of
the appropriations needed for the conduct of the Department during
the ensuing fiscal year.
(6)
Reports to the Board. The Chief shall submit a written report to
the Village Board not later than February 1 of each year and at such
other times as he/she deems desirable relating to the conditions of
various pieces of apparatus and appurtenances; the number of hydrants
and the condition of the same; the number of fires occurring since
the previous report, and the date of the same and loss occasioned
thereby; the total number of active members in the Department, and
resignations and expulsions from the Department. The Chief shall also
report upon the drill and training program of the Department together
with other pertinent information, including recommendations for such
improvements as he/she deems proper and necessary for the operation
of the Department.
(7)
Enforcement of fire prevention ordinances. The Chief shall enforce
all fire prevention ordinances of the Village and state laws and regulations
pertaining to fire prevention and shall keep citizens informed on
fire prevention methods and on the activities of the Department.
(8)
Fire record book. The Chief shall keep a fire record book of every
fire to which the Department was called and shall enter in such book
the locality of fire, time alarm was received, cause of fire, where
fire started, cause of delay (if any) in responding, amount of insurance
carried on buildings and contents, estimated fire loss, time fire
was extinguished, names of members responding and general remarks.
(9)
Apparatus inventory. The Chief shall keep an inventory of all apparatus
and equipment and an inventory of all hose, showing dates and results
of tests on each length, which shall be individually numbered.
(10)
Duties of commanding officer. He/she shall perform such other duties
as are usually incumbent on the commanding officer of the Fire Department.
G.
Village Board to authorize fire equipment.
(1)
Authorization. The Village Board shall provide such apparatus and
equipment for the use of the Fire Department as it may deem expedient
and necessary to maintain efficiency and to properly protect life
and property from fire.
(2)
Other use. No apparatus shall be used for any purpose except for
firefighting within the Village limits and such townships under contract
or in training therefor, except pursuant to an agreement approved
by the Village Board after the Chief has given his/her recommendations
on such use. With the approval of the Chief, such apparatus may be
used for emergency purposes other than firefighting within or out
of the Village.
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 Centuria Volunteer Fire Department may cause the arrest of
any person failing to give the right-of-way to the Centuria Volunteer
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 firefighters and police officers
and those admitted by order of any officer of the Fire 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/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.
B.
Fire inspection duties.
(1)
The Fire Chief or the Chief's designee shall be the Fire Inspector
of the Village of Centuria and shall have the power to appoint one
or more deputy fire inspectors and shall perform all duties required
of the Fire Inspector by the laws of the state and rules of the Department
of Safety and Professional Services, particularly § 101.14,
Wis. Stats.
(2)
While acting as Fire Inspector pursuant to § 101.14(2),
Wis. Stats., the Fire Chief or any officer of the Centuria 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 Centuria at all reasonable hours for the purpose of making inspections
or investigations which, under the provisions of this 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
be not complied with, to report such noncompliance to the Village
Board for further action.
(3)
The Chief of the Centuria Volunteer Fire Department ("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 oftener as the Chief
of the Fire Department orders. Each six-month period shall begin on
January 1 and July 1.
(4)
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 State Department of Safety and Professional Services.
A copy of such reports shall be filed with the Fire Chief.
C.
Fire Inspectors Handbook. The Fire Inspectors Handbook, State Department
of Safety and Professional Services, is hereby adopted and made part
of this chapter by reference.
A.
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
firefighter in the discharge of their duty.
B.
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.
A.
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 Centuria Volunteer
Fire Department. This section is to be interpreted in conformance
with that statute as it may be amended from time to time.
B.
Authorization. The Centuria 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 Centuria Volunteer Fire Department
in any public depository in which other Village funds are being held
by the Village Clerk-Treasurer or designee.
C.
Control of funds. The Centuria 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.
D.
Limitations and requirements. The following limitations and requirements
shall apply to the handling and disbursement of funds from the account:
(1)
Expenditures. Expenditures withdrawn from the account may be made
only upon majority vote of Centuria 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.
(2)
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.
(3)
Audit. Centuria 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.
