[Amended 12-16-2003 by Ord. No. 726; 1-10-2005 by Ord. No. 743; 12-11-2017 by Ord. No. 891; 10-22-2019 by Ord. No. 918]
The position of Fire Chief shall be made by Borough Council based on nomination from the Columbia Borough Fire Department. This appointment is at the Borough Council's sole and absolute discretion, and the Borough Council may at any time remove or terminate the Fire Chief. If the Borough Council should choose not to appoint the nominee from the Columbia Borough Fire Department, the Columbia Borough Fire Department shall submit to the Borough Council the name of another individual as a nominee to serve as Fire Chief.
[Amended 3-13-2000 by Ord. No. 690; 12-11-2017 by Ord. No. 891]
The Fire Chief may appoint a Deputy Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chiefs meeting established standards as set forth in the rules and regulations promulgated by the Fire Chief. All such assistants of the Deputy Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chiefs shall serve at the discretion of the Fire Chief. The Fire Chief shall, however, notify Borough Council of the appointment of any of the same.
[1]
Editor’s Note: Former § 24-15, Removal of Deputy Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chiefs, and § 24-16, Term of office for Fire Chief; vacancies, as amended, were repealed 12-11-2017 by Ord. No. 891.
[Amended 10-22-2019 by Ord. No. 918]
The Fire Chief shall supervise and be responsible for the services and activities of the Columbia Borough Fire Department . The Fire Chief shall be subordinate to and report to the Borough Manager and is subject to the authority of Borough Council. The authority, duties and responsibilities of the Fire Chief shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:[1]
A. 
Should Borough Council not have appointed a Fire Inspector, the Fire Chief shall perform all duties and have all of the powers of the Fire Inspector prescribed by the Code of the Borough of Columbia, Pennsylvania;
[Amended 12-16-2003 by Ord. No. 726]
B. 
Supervising, directing and controlling volunteer fire fighters while actually engaged in any of the services and activities specified in § 24-5 hereof;
C. 
Developing, implementing and maintaining policies and procedures for fire protection and prevention, for fire-fighting operations, for personnel training and for application of safety codes adopted by Borough Council;
D. 
Preparing and submitting an annual operating budget to the Borough Manager for the Columbia Borough Fire Department , including capital expenditures for buildings and/or equipment proposed for the current budget year;
E. 
Preparing an annual update of long-range capital budget proposals, as required;
F. 
Establishing procedures for the inspection of any and all equipment used by the recognized Columbia Borough Fire Department in any of the services set forth in § 24-5 hereof to assure that such equipment is in conformity with any rules, regulations and policies set forth by the Fire Chief and in accordance with all local, state and federal laws related to the operation and use of such equipment.
G. 
Performing such other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time to the Fire Chief by the Borough Manager or Borough Council.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 31-17(1) and (2), regarding the duties of the Code Official and Fire Inspector, were repealed 12-16-2003 by Ord. No. 726.
[Amended 3-13-2000 by Ord. No. 690; 10-22-2019 by Ord. No. 918]
A. 
The Deputy Fire Chief shall be subordinate to the Fire Chief and shall perform such duties and activities as the Fire Chief designates, including, but not limited to, supervising fire operations as outlined by established procedures, coordinating activities with the appointed Assistant Fire Chiefs, assuming management duties and responsibilities in the absence of the Borough Fire Chief, maintaining liaisons between the Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chiefs and volunteers on all operational matters, insuring that fire loss and incident reports are submitted to the Fire Chief within 24 hours after the incident necessitating the preparation of such reports, maintaining current training as required to keep abreast of current trends in the field, and scheduling, supervising and participating in duty officer programs.
B. 
The Assistant Fire Chiefs shall, when the Columbia Borough Fire Department is in service, render such services and assistance to the Fire Chief as he may order and direct. In his absence, such Assistant Fire Chiefs shall provide such services and assistance to the Deputy Fire Chief. The Assistant Fire Chief who shall first arrive on the scene of any fire/emergency shall assume the duties and be vested with the power of the Fire Chief until the arrival of that official or, in his absence, the Deputy Fire Chief.
[Amended 12-16-2003 by Ord. No. 726; 10-22-2019 by Ord. No. 918]
The Fire Chief shall, subject to the ordinances, rules, resolutions and regulations of Borough Council, have full, absolute and complete control of the Columbia Borough Fire Department when in service as provided in § 24-5 hereof, and his orders and directions shall be obeyed by every officer and member of Columbia Borough Fire Department recognized pursuant hereto. Moreover, the Fire Chief shall, as his sole responsibility, assign to no more than 25 members of the Columbia Borough Fire Department recognized pursuant hereto and fire police of the Borough of Columbia the privilege of using mobile two-way radios, and red and blue lights of the flashing and revolving type on their private vehicles. The approved list, signed by the Fire Chief, shall be filed with the Borough Police Department, with the Fire Chief, and with any and all other officials required by Pennsylvania law. The foregoing shall be in addition to all of the obligations and requirements of 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 4572 of the Vehicle Code, as amended from time to time. The Fire Chief shall have the power to require any member of the Columbia Borough Fire Department to remove such blue lights if such member does not follow the rules, regulations and policies set forth by the Fire Chief. Failure to comply with such request of the Fire Chief shall subject the individual Columbia Borough Fire Department member and the Columbia Borough Fire Department of which he is a member to the penalties set forth in § 24-12 hereof.
[Amended 10-22-2019 by Ord. No. 918]
The Fire Chief shall, subject to the ordinances, rules, resolutions and regulations of Council, have full and complete control and authority over every burning building and the ruins of every building which has been wholly or partially destroyed, and such authority shall, if necessary, be enforced and maintained by the assistance of the Police Department of the Borough of Columbia. Such authority shall include the right and privilege of adopting all and every reasonable effective needs for preventing a communication of flames to other or adjoining buildings, and such authority shall not cease until the fire, whether confined to members or otherwise, has been wholly and entirely extinguished. The authority set forth in this § 24-20 shall also apply to any services rendered by the Columbia Borough Fire Department pursuant to § 24-5A, B and D.
[Amended 3-13-2000 by Ord. No. 690; 10-22-2019 by Ord. No. 918]
The Fire Chief shall, on or before the afternoon of the first Tuesday of each month, submit to the Borough Manager and the Committee on Public Safety a full, complete and detailed report of all matters of interest and importance concerning the service, equipment and condition of the Columbia Borough Fire Department, and offer such suggestions and recommendations for the improvement of the fire service by legislation or acquisition as to him may seem proper and necessary. It shall also be the duty of the Fire Chief, together with the Deputy Fire Chief and the Assistant Fire Chiefs, to perform a pre-fire survey of every public, mercantile and manufacturing building and warehouse within the limits of the Borough, for the purpose of acquiring such knowledge and plans of construction of the buildings as would be essential to effective direction of the Columbia Borough Fire Department at the time of fire.
[Amended 10-22-2019 by Ord. No. 918]
No volunteer fire company recognized pursuant hereto shall take or send or permit to taking or sending of its engine, hose, or apparatus to any other municipality or beyond the Columbia Borough limits except by permission of the Fire Chief or his appointed designee; provided, however, that in no event shall any engine, hose or apparatus be sent to any other municipality or beyond the Columbia Borough limits if such action will leave the Borough without the service of at least two pumpers and one aerial type truck and rescue unit.