A.
There shall be a Public Safety Department, the head
of which shall be the Fire Chief, who shall be appointed by the Town
Manager and confirmed by the Town Council.
B.
The purpose of the Public Safety Department shall
be to:
(1)
Prevent and extinguish fires in Standish;
(2)
Mitigate the negative consequences of non-fire situations,
including vehicular accidents, weather events and other natural or
man-made disasters;
(3)
Provide emergency lifesaving and first aid services;
(4)
Provide crisis response during periods of emergency
or disaster situations from natural, technological, man-made or hazardous
materials incidents;
(5)
Provide notifiable disease control, environmental
health protection and nuisance control;
(6)
Promote order at the Standish boat launching site
and great pond moorings; and
(7)
Enforce state law and ordinances in response to animal
complaints.
C.
Within the Public Safety Department there shall be
a Division of Fire/EMS (hereinafter referred to as "Standish Fire/EMS"),
the head of which shall be the Fire Chief, a Division of Dispatch,
the head of which shall be the Fire Chief and a Division of Safety
Support, the head of which shall be the Fire Chief.
The Fire Chief shall:
A.
Direct the Public Safety Department of the Town in
a manner which minimizes personal injury, loss of life and property
damage while maximizing efficient use of departmental resources.
B.
Exercise supervisory control over all aspects of the
Public Safety Department and its operations and be responsible for
the same.
C.
Set performance and conduct standards for all members
of the Public Safety Department and enforce the same.
D.
Establish written standard operating procedures and
guidelines for the Public Safety Department and ensure that each member
is knowledgeable in the same.
E.
Be responsible for the proper care, maintenance and
accountability of all departmental property.
F.
Cause all departmental interaction and coordination
with other municipal departments, state officials, federal officials
and nongovernmental entities to be accomplished in a timely, effective
manner.
G.
Be responsible for current budget expenditures, preparation
of future budget proposals and capital planning.
H.
Assume all obligations, titles and offices as provided
for municipal fire chiefs under Maine law.
I.
Establish a public relations program for the Department
through a demonstration of good service and develop attitudes and
practices that will ensure effective, efficient and courteous delivery
of service.
J.
Be responsible for the maintenance of all data, documents
and records required by state and local statutes and regulations.
K.
Exercise command over the employees of the Department
and be responsible for their recruitment, training, licensure, safety
and discipline and the efficient performance of the functions of the
Department.
The Fire Chief shall submit for Town Manager
approval a general description of department policy regarding equipment
and personnel utilization for the various response situations encountered
by the Department (i.e., structure fire, vehicle accidents, alarms,
weather events, etc.).
A.
The Fire Chief, either directly or through his/her
duly authorized representative, upon request for aid from a duly authorized
representative of a municipal or incorporated Fire/Emergency Services/Rescue
Department of another Town within the State of Maine, is hereby authorized
to send such other entity such equipment and/or personnel belonging
to Standish Fire/EMS as deemed feasible for the purpose of rendering
assistance with the provision of fire/HAZMAT/emergency medical services
or other related assistance as requested within other municipalities.
B.
During the course of rendering such assistance to
another Town, the assisting Town shall, as between municipalities
having similar ordinances, be responsible for and shall assume the
risk of personal injury or property damage caused to or by its own
personnel or equipment and for any payments required to be made to
any member of its Fire/Emergency Medical Services/Rescue Department
or to his/her spouse or other dependents on account of injuries or
death, as required by the Workers' Compensation Act of the State of
Maine, all without affecting the right of the assisting Town to recover
damages from any other person or entity legally liable therefor.
C.
The Town Manager, upon recommendation of the Fire
Chief, is hereby authorized to execute for, and on behalf of, the
Town of Standish a mutual aid agreement in accordance with the provisions
of this section, with any other Town or municipalities. A copy of
the agreement(s) shall be placed on file with the Town Clerk.
A.
There shall be a number of Chief Officers nominated
by the Fire Chief and approved by the Town Manager, who shall be designated
by function and responsibility. The overall number, method of selection,
necessary qualifications and areas of responsibility shall be determined
at the discretion of the Fire Chief. The maximum number of officers
shall be as authorized in the municipal budget.
B.
There shall also be a number of Captains and Lieutenants,
who shall be designated by function, location or major piece of equipment.
The overall number, method of selection, necessary qualifications
and areas of responsibility shall be determined at the discretion
of the Fire Chief. The maximum number of Captains and Lieutenants
shall be as authorized in the municipal budget.
C.
The maximum number of active members, including all
officers in Standish Fire/EMS, shall be 130, exclusive of firefighters
assigned to North Gorham.
D.
The Fire Chief shall be appointed by the Town Manager,
subject to Town Council confirmation, on an annual basis. The Fire
Chief must meet the following minimum requirements:
E.
Chief Officers shall be appointed by the Fire Chief,
subject to Town Manager confirmation, on an annual basis. Appointment
shall be made based solely on merit. All Chief Officers must meet
the following requirements:
F.
All active members of the Department shall meet the
following requirements:
(1)
Minimum age of 18.
(2)
Hold a valid driver's license unless an exception
has been approved by the Town Manager.
(3)
Shall work on a regular basis and reside within 15
road miles of a department facility.
(4)
"Active" shall be defined as having completed a minimum
of 24 hours of training time and having served a minimum of 24 hours
of on-call time in any twelve-month period. Additionally, those members
with a State of Maine EMS license shall meet state guidelines.
G.
A junior firefighter program shall be authorized for
individuals under the age of 18 and be operated in accordance with
conditions set forth by the Fire Chief and Maine State labor laws.
A.
All members shall exercise good judgment in the performance
of firefighters' duties and adhere to the lawful directives of department
officers, the various requirements set forth in this Article, established
department procedures, the Town Personnel Policy and applicable state
and federal law. Failure to do so shall constitute cause for removal
from the Department in accordance with the Town Personnel Policy.
B.
All members shall be responsible to the Town for the
proper use and storage of department property to include individual-issued
gear and equipment. Members who are unable, in the judgment of the
Town Manager, to properly account for damaged or missing individual-issued
gear and equipment shall be held financially responsible in the amount
of loss to the Town, and the Town shall be authorized to recover damages
through any and all legal methods.
C.
All members shall be individually responsible for
their training time, travel time, travel costs, meal costs and lodging
costs which are incurred during any sanctioned department activity
unless the Town otherwise makes provision.
A.
There shall be a minimum five-year capital plan for
acquisition and replacement of department gear and equipment that
is distributed by fire station. Approval of the plan shall be in accordance
with the Town Charter.
B.
There shall be a minimum five-year capital plan, based
on authorized active member strength established in this Article,
for acquisition and replacement of gear and equipment that is distributed
by individual. Approval of the plan shall be in accordance with the
Town Charter.
C.
Records of all station gear and equipment and individual-issued
gear and equipment shall be maintained by the Town. The Town Manager
shall be authorized to conduct inventories of same, from time to time,
to verify accountability and general condition of department property.
D.
The Town shall compensate members for on-call time,
only, at rates authorized in the annual municipal budget. In addition,
officers shall be compensated for stipends as authorized in the annual
municipal budget.
E.
Procurement of all gear and equipment shall be made
in accordance with the established capital plans and the approved
municipal budget.
F.
The costs of training activities and events shall
be borne by the Town as authorized in the approved municipal budget
with the express exception of individual members' time, travel time,
travel costs, meals and lodging unless the Town otherwise makes provision.
A.
All patients transported to a medical facility by
Standish Fire/EMS shall be billed in accordance with the Town of Standish
itemized fee schedule. All funds collected through billing shall be
deposited in the General Fund administered by the Town of Standish
Finance Director.
B.
The Fire Chief shall be responsible for the development and implementation of procedure in the administration of Subsection A.
C.
There shall be a Hardship Cases Panel comprised of
the Fire Chief and General Assistance Coordinator. The Panel shall
be empowered to waive, for any patient, any portion of the fees levied
if the Panel determines that the payment of fees would impose undue
hardship on that patient. Proceedings of the Panel shall be considered
confidential in conformance with the Maine welfare statutes.
D.
There shall be an optional Standish EMS subscription
service offered on an annual basis to the residents, businesses and
organizations of Standish. Rates of subscription shall be offered
in accordance with the Town of Standish fee schedule. Subscribers
to this service shall not be subject to direct billing by the Town
in the event third-party payers, who are otherwise contractually obligated
to the patient, do not pay any portion of a levied fee. All funds
collected through subscriptions shall be deposited in the General
Fund.
A.
There shall be a Division of Dispatch, the head of
which shall be the Fire Chief.
B.
The responsibilities of the Division of Dispatch shall
be to:
(1)
Receive and dispatch emergency response calls for
fire, emergency medical services, public works, animal control and
harbormaster;
(2)
Answer non-emergency calls for the Public Safety Department
and, during non-duty hours, respond to requests for information for
other departments;
(3)
Issue burn permits;
(4)
Maintain records of all emergency responses;
(5)
Provide administrative support to the Public Safety
Department as directed by the Fire Chief and further defined by a
job description established by the Town Manager;
(6)
Administer the Town's law enforcement services agreement
with Cumberland County and coordination of various Town assets with
police services, as needed; and
(7)
Provide dispatch services for any other agency or
function as directed by the Town Council, the Town Manager or the
Fire Chief.
A.
There shall be a Division of Safety Support, the head
of which shall be the Fire Chief. The Safety Support Division shall
be comprised of the following sections:
(1)
Animal Control Section. The Fire Chief shall nominate
an Animal Control Officer, approved by the Town Manager, whose duty
shall be to enforce state laws and local ordinances regarding animal
complaints.
(2)
Harbormaster Section. The Fire Chief shall nominate
a Harbormaster, approved by the Town Manager, whose duty shall be
to promote order at the Sebago Lake Station Landing to assure the
safety and convenience of the users of the boat landing and the general
public. The Harbormaster shall enforce the provisions of any local
ordinances and any rules and regulations applicable to the boat landing
and to the mooring of boats on the great ponds within Standish.
[Amended 7-14-2009 by Order No. 56-09]
(3)
Health Section. The Fire Chief shall nominate a Health
Officer, approved by the Town Manager, whose duty shall be to enforce
state laws and local ordinances regarding notifiable disease control,
environmental health protection and nuisance control.
