[Adopted as Ch. 44 of the 1976 Code]
[Amended 6-17-1981; 8-4-2015 by Ord. No. 15-45; 12-20-2016 by Ord. No. 16-83; 9-3-2019 by Ord. No. 19-51; 10-18-2022 by Ord. No. 22-23]
The Fire Department of the City of Chicopee shall consist of one Fire Chief, five Deputy Chiefs to be designated First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Deputy Chiefs, respectively, 15 Captains, 24 Lieutenants, 105 firefighters, one Manager of Administrative Operations, one Principal Clerk, one Senior Clerk, one motor equipment repairman.
No person shall be eligible to appointment as a member of the Department unless he is a citizen of the United States, at least 21 years old, a resident of the City of Chicopee for at least two years, of good health and character and able to read and write in the English language and comply with all rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission.
Applications for membership in the Department may be made upon blanks to be provided for that purpose, which shall be filled out and signed by the applicant and filed with the Civil Service Commission. Members shall be assigned as far as possible to the companies which are located nearest to their places of residence but may at any time be transferred to other companies by the Chief when, in his judgment, the good of the Department requires such transfer.
[Amended 9-1-2009]
An Advisory Board of the Fire Department of the City of Chicopee shall consist of the Fire Chief and the Deputy Chiefs. The Chief shall preside at all meetings of the Board when present, and in his absence one of the Deputy Chiefs shall preside. The Board may make rules and regulations not inconsistent with law and the ordinances of the City for its own government and for the government, discipline and good order of the members and employees of the Department and for the extinguishment of fires; subject, however, to the approval of the City Council.
A. 
The Chief shall, under the general direction of the Mayor, have the supervision, care and control of all the fire apparatus and other property of the City held and used for fire purposes and shall cause the same to be kept in good repair and in condition for immediate use. He shall have the general care and control of all hydrants, cause them to be frequently inspected and, in case of any defect therein, notify the Superintendent of the Water Department, who shall immediately put the same in good order. He shall have the authority to appoint all janitors and other employees of the Department other than members and may remove the same as provided in Section 48 of the Charter of the City; subject, however, to the approval of the Civil Service Rules and Regulations.
B. 
He shall keep an accurate account of all moneys that may be received and expended on account of the Department. He shall be responsible to the Mayor for the discipline, good order and prompt conduct of the whole Department and shall have control over the officers and members of the several companies attached to the Department.
C. 
At the close of the financial year, he shall make a report to the City Council of the state and condition of the Department, of the cost of maintaining the same in detail, of all accidents by fire which may have happened within the preceding year, with the causes thereof so far as the same can be ascertained and the number and description of buildings destroyed or injured thereby, together with the names of the owners and occupants thereof.
[Amended 9-1-2009]
D. 
He shall have supervision over and general care of the rooms, machinery, apparatus, fixtures and wires of the fire alarm service and shall see that they are at all times kept in good working order. If any part thereof shall become defective or in need of repair, he shall immediately notify the Manager of the Electric Light Department of the City or the person in charge of the electric light station of the City who shall cause the necessary repairs to be made and the defects remedied forthwith, the expense thereof to be charged by the Electric Light Department to the City and paid out of the appropriation for the Fire Department. He shall allow one hour for dinner to each member of the permanent Fire Department while on duty for 24 hours.
E. 
These powers shall include the issuing of Fire Department rules and regulations which shall be available from the Chief's office and the City Clerk under separate cover.
F. 
Rapid-entry locked boxes.
[Added 5-21-1991 by Ord. No. 91-27]
(1) 
When a property is protected by an automatic alarm system or access to or within a structure or an area on that property is unduly difficult because of secured openings or knowledge of stored hazardous materials is necessary and where immediate access is necessary for lifesaving or fire-fighting purposes, the head of the Fire Department may require a rapid-entry locked box to be installed in an approved location. The rapid-entry locked box shall be of a type approved by the head of the Fire Department. Such rapid-entry locked boxes shall contain:
(a) 
Keys for entry to the premises, as deemed necessary by the head of the Fire Department.
(b) 
Material safety data sheets (MSDS) and other information as deemed necessary by the Head of the Fire Department, if hazardous materials are stored on the premises.
(c) 
Keys to other areas within the building or complex, as directed by the head of the Fire Department.
(2) 
All rapid-entry locked boxes shall be approved by the head of the Fire Department prior to installation.
[Added 9-21-1995 by Ord. No. 95-66[1]]
A. 
The regular, full-time Fire Chief and the regular, full-time Chief of Police of the City of Chicopee shall receive an annual base rate of compensation which shall not be less than tow times the highest annual rate of compensation of a regular, full-time firefighter or a regular full-time police officer or patrolman, as the case may be.
B. 
In addition, parity shall be maintained relative to the compensation rates paid to the Police Chief and the Fire Department Chief for the City of Chicopee.
C. 
The highest annual rate of a regular full-time firefighter or a regular full-time police officer or patrolman is to be construed and interpreted as the "base rate" and shall not include any other additional forms of compensation, and if, given this definition, the rates of the Fire Department Chief and the Police Chief would mathematically come out to different levels of compensation, then the lower rate shall be adjusted to the higher rate in order to maintain parity between the two Department heads.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also § 77-3.1.
No person shall willfully deface, injure or destroy the fire alarm system or any part thereof or in any way disturb the wires or the operation thereof or open any of the signal boxes connected therewith, except to give an alarm of fire or by authority of the Chief, or interfere with the poles by which the wires of the fire alarm system are supported by breaking, cutting, injuring or defacing them or by posting placards or bills upon them or in other manner. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $20 for each offense.
It shall be the duty of the permanent members to take care of the fire apparatus and the buildings in which the same are kept and to keep the same and all things entrusted to their care clean and in order for immediate use and to the satisfaction of the Chief. They shall clear the snow from sidewalks and driveways connected with the houses under their care and perform such other duties relating to the Department as may be required of them by the Chief.
[Amended 10-19-1993 by Ord. No. 93-53]
All vehicles and apparatus owned and operated by the Fire Department in the City of Chicopee, excluding the Chief's and Deputy Chief's cars, shall be painted red with black letters three inches in height. The Chief's and Deputy Chief's cars shall be painted white with three-inch black letters.
The officers and members of each company, upon an alarm of fire in that part of the City in which the company is located, shall immediately go to their respective apparatus and convey the same in an orderly manner to or near the place where the fire may be and place and use the same as directed by the Chief and exert themselves to their best ability in the performance of any duty which they may be called upon to do by any Deputy Chief and, after their services are no longer needed, upon permission or order of the Deputy in charge or in the absence of all the Deputies, on the order of their respective Captains, return the apparatus to their respective places of deposit in a quiet and orderly manner.
Every member of the Fire Department, when on duty, shall wear a suitable badge to be furnished by the City, and any member who shall lose, destroy or dispose of his badge shall be required to pay to the City the cost of replacing the same. The Captains of the several companies shall have the care of these badges when not in use and shall see to the distribution thereof. When any member of a company shall leave the Department, he shall immediately return his badge to the Captain of his company.
The Chief shall report to the Mayor any company, officer, member or employee of the Department who may be delinquent in the performance of any duty assigned him. He shall have power to suspend from the Department any officer, member or employee for insubordination or disorderly conduct and in such case shall immediately report to the Mayor the facts in relation thereto. Any member suspended shall not further act as the member of the Department or be entitled to any compensation until reinstated by the Mayor.
Whenever it shall be determined at any fire, by the Chief or Deputy Chief in command, to be necessary to pull down or demolish any building in order to prevent the spreading of the fire, the same may be done by his order in accordance with the statute in such case made and provided.
[Amended 10-6-1987]
No fire apparatus or vehicle under the control of the Fire Department shall be taken from the City at any time, except the Chief or his designee may authorize any fire apparatus or vehicle to be taken from the City for the purpose of having the same repaired or to be used to transport personnel on official business; provided, however, that in case of a fire and such other emergencies or potential public disaster that might arise in a neighboring town, city or area under federal jurisdiction, the Chief or his designee may order any fire apparatus or vehicle to be taken to such town, city or area under federal jurisdiction for the purpose of assisting in the extinguishment of such fire and such other emergencies or potential public disasters that might arise.
All persons not members of the Department are hereby enjoined and required to obey the orders and directions of the officer in command at any fire and to render their services if ordered so to do by him. No person not wearing the badge of the Department shall, except by permission of the Chief, Deputy Chief or Captain, enter within the lines formed at any fire. No person not a member of the Department being present at a fire shall assume, without authority, to exercise control over any members of the Department in respect to their duty, and no such person shall in any way hinder or interfere with the members of the Department in the discharge of their duties at a fire or be guilty of disorderly conduct of any kind at a fire. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be liable to a fine not exceeding $20 for each offense.
Whenever any hose is placed in any street by order of any officer of the Department during a fire, no person shall drive any vehicle upon or over the same without consent of some officer of the Department.
It shall be the duty of the Chief to examine all buildings and other places where ashes, shavings or other combustible materials may be collected and deposited and at all times to be vigilant in causing the removal of the same, whenever, in his opinion, the same, if not removed or otherwise disposed of, will expose the City to danger from fires, and in such case he shall direct the tenant, occupant or lessee of any such place to remove or otherwise safely dispose of such ashes, shavings or other combustible materials; and in case such tenant, occupant or lessee shall refuse so to do, the Chief shall remove or cause to be removed the same at the expense of said tenant, occupant or lessee. Any such tenant, occupant or lessee who shall neglect or refuse to remove any such ashes, shavings or other combustible material when directed to by said Chief shall be liable to a fine of not more than $20.
The Chief, when requested by two or more citizens representing that ashes or combustible materials are kept in any place in the City in an insecure or unsafe or illegal manner or that the funnels, flues, fireboards or heating apparatus of any building in the City are insecure and dangerous, shall make a personal examination of such place or building and give the owner, occupant or lessee thereof written notice of such changes, alterations and repairs which, in his judgment, public safety may require, and any person who shall refuse or neglect to make such changes, alterations and repairs when so required or who shall prevent the examination or obstruct said Chief in attempting to carry out the provisions of this section shall be liable to a fine of not more than $20 for each offense.
A. 
The regular workweek for members of the fire-fighting force shall be 42 hours (averaged).
B. 
The regular workweek for members of the fire prevention maintenance, training and fire alarm division shall be 40 hours.
C. 
The regular workweek for the fire alarm dispatchers shall be 42 hours.
A. 
Fire fighters shall receive the following vacation schedule:
(1) 
Ten or more years of service with the City: 20 working days of paid vacation annually.
(2) 
Five or more years of service but less than 10 years of service with the City: 15 working days of paid vacation annually.
(3) 
Thirty weeks or more of service but less than five years of service with the City: 10 working days of paid vacation annually.
B. 
All employees who, pursuant to the foregoing, are entitled to more than 10 working days of paid vacation annually may take any five working days of vacation in single days or combinations thereof throughout the calendar year upon notice of not less than 48 hours in advance, so long as to do so will not substantially impair the ability of the Department to carry out its primary duty.
Each employee of the Fire Department shall be granted one personal leave day per calendar year for good cause shown. An employee desiring to take a personal leave day shall request the same in writing at least 48 hours in advance, but this requirement may be waived by the Chief or Deputy for good cause. Personal leave days shall not accumulate from year to year.