[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of
the City of Waterloo as indicated in article histories. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 10-19-1987 by Ord. No. 87-6 as §§ 5.01
to 5.09, 5.13, 5.14, 5.17 and 5.20 of the 1987 Code]
The Waterloo Fire Department shall consist of
the Fire Chief, an Assistant Fire Chief, a First and Second Captain,
a First and Second Lieutenant, a Secretary and a Treasurer, and as
many drivers and firemen who live and normally work within the City
as may be appointed by the Chief and approved by the Council, provided
that at no time shall the Department consist of fewer than 28 active
members.
Members of the Department shall be governed
by the bylaws of the Department, the resolutions and ordinances of
the City, the lawful orders of the Council and the Mayor, and the
Wisconsin Statutes. The Department bylaws and amendments thereto shall
be subject to approval by the Council.
All members of the Department shall participate
in the Department training program in accordance with the Department's
bylaws. Department training sessions shall be held every month and
all members shall be required to attend unless excused by the Fire
Chief.
The Fire Chief shall have the power to suspend,
demote, expel or otherwise discipline members of the Department, subject
to appeal to the Council.
A.
General supervision. The Chief shall have the general
supervision of the Department, which supervision shall be subject
to and not in conflict with this article and the rules and regulations
of the Department.
B.
Command of fire-fighting operations. The Chief shall
be present at all fires, if possible, and have complete command and
entire responsibility of all fire-fighting operations, plan the control
of the same, direct the action of the Department when it arrives at
a fire, observe that the Department does its duty, grant leaves of
absence at a fire when he may deem it proper, and see that the fire
apparatus is kept in proper condition at all times.
C.
Reports to the Council. On or about October 1 of each
year, the Chief shall submit to the Council a proposed budget for
the coming year and a report relating to the conditions of all fire
apparatus and the drill and training program of the Department, together
with other pertinent information, including recommendations for such
improvements as he deems proper and necessary for the operation of
the Department.
D.
Enforcement of fire prevention laws and ordinances.
He shall enforce all fire prevention ordinances of the City and the
state laws and regulations pertaining to fire prevention and shall
keep citizens informed on fire prevention methods and on the activities
of the Department.
E.
Fire record book. He shall keep a fire record book
of every fire to which the Department was called and shall enter in
such book the location of the fire; the time the alarm was received;
the cause of the fire; where the fire started; the cause of delay,
if any, in responding; the amount of insurance carried on buildings
and contents; estimated fire loss; the time the fire was extinguished;
the names of the firemen responding; and general remarks.
F.
Apparatus inventory. He 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.
G.
Duties as commanding officer. He shall perform such
other duties as are usually incumbent on the commanding officer of
the Fire Department.
In the absence of the Chief, the Assistant Chief
shall take command and perform the duties of the Chief. In the absence
of both the Fire Chief and the Assistant Chief, the highest ranking
officer or fireman shall be in charge.
A.
The Chief shall have control of all apparatus used
by the Department and shall be responsible for its proper maintenance.
Emergency repairs may be authorized by the Chief.
B.
Unless approved by the Fire Chief and the Mayor, no
apparatus shall be used for any purpose except for fire fighting within
the City limits, or in training therefor, except in towns which have
contracted with the City for fire protection or in municipalities
with which the City has entered into mutual aid agreements. Upon the
approval of the Chief, such apparatus may be used for emergency purposes
within the City and participating municipalities.
A.
Police authority at fires. The Chief and his assistant
or officers in command at any fire are hereby vested with full and
complete police authority. Any officer of the Department may cause
the arrest of any person failing to give the right-of-way to the Fire
Department in responding to a fire.
B.
Control of fires. The Fire Chief may prescribe certain
limits in the vicinity of any fire within which no persons except
firemen and policemen and those admitted by order of any officer of
the Department shall be permitted to enter. The Chief may 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 may order the removal or destruction of any property
necessary to prevent the further spread of the fire. He may also cause
the removal of all wires or other facilities and the turning off of
all electricity, gas or other services where the same impedes the
work of the Department during the progress of a fire.
C.
Entering premises. Any fireman, while acting under
the direction of the Fire Chief or other officer in command, may enter
upon the premises adjacent to or in the vicinity of any building or
other property then on fire for the purpose of extinguishing such
fire, and if any person shall hinder, resist or obstruct any fireman
in the discharge of his duty as is hereinbefore provided, the person
so offending shall be deemed guilty of resisting firemen in the discharge
of their duties.
D.
Duties of bystanders. Every person who shall be present
at a fire shall be subject to the orders of the Fire Chief or officer
in command and may be required to render assistance in fighting the
fire or removing or guarding property. Such officer may cause the
arrest of any person refusing to obey said orders.
E.
Injury to equipment prohibited. No person shall willfully
injure in any manner any hose, hydrant or fire apparatus belonging
to the City, and no vehicle or railroad equipment shall be driven
over any unprotected hose of the Fire Department when laid down on
any street, private driveway, track or other place to be used at any
fire or alarm of fire without the consent of the Fire Department official
in command.
The officers and members of the Fire Department,
with their fire equipment of every kind, when going to or on duty
at a fire, shall have the right-of-way over all other vehicles upon
City streets, and the operator of any other vehicle, whether motor
or otherwise, upon the approach of such fire apparatus, shall immediately
drive such other vehicle as far as possible to the right of the thoroughfare
and shall keep such vehicle stationary until such fire apparatus shall
have passed. Except when actually responding to a fire alarm or other
emergency call, or when on duty at a fire, the apparatus and vehicles
of the Fire Department shall, however, have no special right-of-way
or other privileges of any kind but shall be subject to all traffic
regulations applied to other vehicles. Emergency vehicles responding
to a call, and exceeding the posted speed limit, shall have all emergency
lights and siren in operation.
[Amended 4-21-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-06]
A.
All volunteer fire and EMS personnel, when responding to an emergency
call with a private vehicle, shall comply with all traffic regulations,
except nonmoving traffic regulations.
B.
The volunteer may have the use of courtesy dash lights only. This
would be at the expense of the volunteer and not the City or the Fire
Department. No other light will be allowed. The light is to be a combination
of red and white light only. They can only be used within the City
limits of the City of Waterloo.
[Amended 4-5-2018 by Ord.
No. 2018-03]
A.
Rescue service for the City and participating town residents shall
be provided by the Waterloo Fire Department.
B.
When the Waterloo Fire Department is called upon to extinguish a
vehicle fire, extricate a person from a vehicle, provide on-scene
cleanup of flammable or hazardous substances, or provide on-scene
care or assistance to a vehicle occupant, the driver or owner of the
vehicle will pay a service fee to the Waterloo Fire Department in
an amount not to exceed $500, or as amended from time to time by the
Waterloo City Council upon recommendation of the Waterloo Fire Department.
[Adopted 12-20-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-22]
This article imposes a number of obligations on the Waterloo
Fire Company with respect to certain funds provided to it from time
to time.
The purpose of this article is to authorize the deposit of certain
funds into a members' account to be held and administered by the Fire
Company.
The City Council adopts this article, pursuant to § 66.0608,
Wis. Stats., and it is to be interpreted in conformance with that
section as it may be amended from time to time.
In this article, the following terms have the following assigned
meanings:
The City of Waterloo.
The City Council of the City of Waterloo.
The Fire Chief of the Fire Company.
The active division of the Waterloo Fire Department.
Has the meaning set forth in § 57-18B below.
Volunteer funds that are raised by members of the Fire Company,
by volunteers, or by donation to the Fire Company, for the exclusive
benefit of the Fire Company.
Has the meaning given in § 34.01(5), Wis. Stats.
The following separate accounts are hereby established for the
Fire Company, to be accounted for and administered according to the
conditions stated in this article:
A.
Members' account. This account shall be used for the deposit of all
fire volunteer funds raised by the Fire Company through fundraising
activities, donations, and similar sources.
B.
Fire Company account. This account shall be used for the deposit
of all funds raised by the Fire Company through the provision of emergency
medical services to the public by the Fire Company; through payments
by the municipalities served by the Fire Company for the provision
of fire and other municipal services; and through appropriations by
the City from time to time.
The Fire Chief or his/her designated representative shall deposit
fire volunteer funds to the members' account, held in the name of
the Fire Company. All such fund deposits shall be in a public depository
in which other City funds are being held by the City Treasurer. All
other funds shall be held in the Fire Company account, to be administered
by the City Treasurer in accordance with applicable provisions of
law.
The Fire Company, through the Fire Chief or his/her designated
representative, is granted exclusive control over the expenditure
of the funds in the members' account, subject to any restrictions
imposed by the donors or the organizational documents for the Fire
Company. All of the funds comprising the Fire Company account shall
be controlled by the City.
The following limitations and requirements shall apply to the
handling and disbursement of funds from the members' account:
A.
Expenditures withdrawn from the members' account shall be made only
upon majority vote of the Fire Chief and the elected officers of the
Fire Company.
B.
Withdrawals and expenditures from the members' account may be made
for any purpose that promotes the ability of the Fire Company to provide
the services for which it is organized.
C.
The funds in the members' account shall remain the property of the
City until the funds are disbursed in accordance with this article.
The members' account shall be maintained in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles and shall be included in
any annual audit of the City funds, and shall be audited in the same
manner.
