[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Chester as Art. 123 of the 1978 Codified Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
The Fire Department of the City is hereby created, organized and shall consist of the Franklin Fire Company, the Hanley Hose Company, the Moyamensing Hook and Ladder Company, the Good Will Fire Company No. 2, the Felton Fire Company and such other companies as may be added by Council.
B. 
No fire company shall be allowed to organize in the City without first obtaining prior consent of Council.
A. 
The officers of the Fire Department shall be a Chief and two assistant chiefs. The Chief and the first assistant chief shall have had at least five years experience in active service in the Fire Department and the second assistant chief shall have had at least three years experience in active service in the Fire Department. The Chief and the assistant chiefs shall be at least 25 years of age, citizens of the United States and residents of the City for at least five years preceding the appointment.
B. 
The terms of officers shall commence on the first Monday of January, and continue for four years or until their successors are appointed. If a vacancy occurs in any of such offices by reason of death, removal, resignation or any other reason, the vacancy shall be filled by Council for the unexpired term.
The Fire Chief and the assistant chiefs shall be ex-officio members of the police force at fires and alarms and each shall take and subscribe the proper oath of office.
A. 
Upon its own motion or upon complaint to Council by any fire company or a member of the Fire Department, against the Chief or either of the assistant chiefs of drunkenness, conduct unbecoming an officer or gross inefficiency, Council shall consider such charges and hold a hearing of which due notice shall be given to the company and to the official against whom charges have been filed. At such hearing the company and such official may appear with witnesses and counsel and be heard. Council shall render a decision and make such orders as may be deemed expedient and necessary. Council shall have the right to suspend or remove the Chief or either of the assistant chiefs.
B. 
Should any fire company refuse to obey the authority or lawful commands of the Chief of the Fire Department, or be engaged in riotous or disorderly conduct, the Chief may suspend such company from active service for not more than three months, and shall at once report such suspension to Council. During the suspension of any company, it shall forfeit a sum to be fined by Council and to be deducted from its appropriation. From the decision of the Chief, there shall be no appeal to Council, except where a suspension of a company exceeds five days and is requested by the suspended company. The decision of Council shall be final in the matter.
A. 
The Chief of the Fire Department shall enforce all laws, ordinances and regulations of Council relating to and governing the Fire Department, and providing for the care of property and for the extinguishment of fires.
B. 
The Chief shall investigate all fires and keep accurate records of same. The Chief shall submit monthly and annually a report to Council containing an account of all fires with the probable cause and loss as nearly as can be ascertained, the amount of insurance thereon, and a full statement of the condition of the Fire Department personnel and equipment.
C. 
The Chief shall visit each company at least once a week, inspect its apparatus, ascertain its condition and report the same to the Director of Public Safety.
The assistant chiefs of the Fire Department shall assist the Chief in the discharge of the duties of his office and, in his absence, the first assistant chief shall assume his duties and become invested with his powers and duties as provided in § 68-5. In the absence of both the Chief and the first assistant chief, the second assistant chief shall assume control and discharge the duties of the Chief and be vested with all his powers and duties.
To be eligible to membership in the fire companies, persons shall be 18 years of age or older, citizens of the United States, residents of the City for one year immediately preceding their appointment, of good moral character and shall be appointed in accordance with the bylaws of the individual volunteer fire companies within the City. No person shall be eligible for membership who at any time has been expelled from membership of any fire company of the City.
Each fire company shall require its members attending fires or alarms of fire to wear a uniform metal badge bearing the name of the company. No person not a member of the Fire Department shall wear any such badge. The Secretary of each fire company shall keep a register of the members of his company with the corresponding badge numbers, and furnish the Chief and assistant chiefs with a register copy. The Secretary shall immediately report all changes in the list of members, including new members, as well as those removed.
A. 
Outside City. Subject to mutual aid agreements made by the Fire Chief, no fire apparatus shall leave the City without the prior consent of the Chief of the Fire Department, an assistant chief, the Director of Public Safety or the Mayor.
B. 
Trials and tests. No fire company shall permit its fire apparatus to be used on a trial of skill or for testing the power or capacity of its engine or truck without the prior consent of the Chief or an assistant chief.
C. 
Discontinued company. If any company goes out of service or is expelled from service or ceases to be a member of the Fire Department, Council shall have the power to take charge of all apparatus and other property belonging to the City which is in the care and control of such company and make such disposition of it as Council may determine.
A. 
The members of the Fire Department shall have the exclusive right to use all public fire hydrants which in the judgment of the Chief or an assistant chief may be required for the extinguishment of any fire.
B. 
No person shall interfere with, molest or in any way deprive or attempt to deprive any fireman from the free and uninterrupted use of public fire hydrants.
A. 
The Chief shall have full control of the Fire Department at all fires, assign to each company its respective duties when necessary, direct the various companies in the fighting of the fire and dismiss them when their services are no longer required. He shall enforce such orders as in his judgment may be best calculated for the protection of property and the extinguishment of fires.
B. 
The Chief may order any company to return to its firehouse when in his opinion it is necessary for only one company to go into service.
C. 
On a fire ground it shall be the duty of the Chief or an assistant chief to cause to be roped off from the place of fire a space which in their judgment shall be sufficient to enable the members of the Fire Department to perform their duties without hindrance or interference from any person.
D. 
No person shall interfere in any manner with the roping off of a fire ground space nor shall any person, other than the proper City officials, policemen, members of the Fire Department, public service employees on duty, representatives of the press and proper representatives of insurance underwriters remain within such space after notice from the Chief or an assistant chief to leave same.
A. 
If any member of the Fire Department is ordered from the fire ground by the Chief and refuses or neglects to depart therefrom, the Chief may have him removed from the fire grounds.
B. 
Should any member of any fire company refuse to obey the authority or commands of the Chief or be engaged in any riotous or disorderly conduct, the Chief may order him from the fire ground and suspend him for a maximum of five days, during which time the offending member is not entitled to exercise the duties or privileges of a fireman. For a second offense, the Chief shall suspend such member for a maximum of three months, during which time the offending member is not entitled to exercise any of the duties or privileges of a fireman.
C. 
For a third offense, the Chief shall report the matter to the company of the offending fireman who shall expel such offending member from its rolls of membership within 30 days thereafter.
D. 
Within such thirty-day period, the offending member shall have the right to appeal from the action of the Chief directing his expulsion from the company to a Board of Appeal.
E. 
The Board of Appeal shall fix an early date for a hearing, at which the Chief and the appellant may appear with witnesses and counsel, if so desired, and be heard. The Board shall, after hearing the charges and the evidence, decide whether the appellant shall be expelled from his company or not, which decision shall be final on all parties.
F. 
The Board shall consist of the Director of Public Safety and the foremen of all fire companies except the fire company of which an appellant is a member. A quorum of the Board shall consist of three members thereof and a majority of a quorum may act in the absence of the other members.
One-half of such sums of money as are received by the City Treasurer in accordance with the Acts of June 28, 1895 (P.L. 408), 72 P.S. §§ 2261 and 2262, and the Act of April 22, 1953 (P.L. 184), 72 P.S. § 2263.4 are hereby declared to be received for the benefit of the Chester Volunteer Firemen's Relief Association.
Any person who violates any provision of this article where such violation is not otherwise provided for shall be fined not more than $100 and costs, and in default of payment thereof shall be imprisoned not more than 30 days.