[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Derby 9-23-1976 as Art. II of Ch. 11 of the Charter and Revised Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
There shall be a Fire Department which shall be designated "Fire Department of the City of Derby."
The Board of Aldermen shall have control of the Fire Department, including all lands and buildings used by such Department or any branch thereof, including also all automobile apparatus and all other apparatus or property used by such Department or any branch thereof, subject to the provisions of the City Charter and this chapter.
The Fire Commissioner shall, subject to the provisions of the Charter and the approval of the Board of Aldermen, have supervision of the Fire Department and may make such rules and regulations for the government thereof as he may consider necessary.
The Fire Chief shall give and cause to be executed proper orders for the extinguishment of fires, protection and preservation of property and the preservation of law and order at fires and he shall keep a record of all fires, which shall include the date and the cause or causes thereof so far as the same may be known. He shall report to the Fire Commissioner annually on or before the third Monday of September and at other times when requested therefor, a roll of the members of each company and an accurate and detailed statement of all property belonging to the City and used by or in connection with the Fire Department, including the condition of such property and a descriptive list of such property as may be required for the ensuing year.
The Assistant Fire Chiefs shall be present at all fires and shall assist the Fire Chief in the discharge of his duties. In the event of the absence of the Fire Chief from any fire, his authority shall be exercised and duties discharged by the First Assistant Fire Chief and, in the absence of both the Chief and the First Assistant Fire Chief, then by the Second Assistant Fire Chief.
[Amended 2-8-1990]
A. 
The Board of Aldermen shall annually appoint not more than six members from each Fire, Hose and Hook and Ladder Company, who, with the Fire Commissioner, Fire Chief and Assistant Chiefs, shall constitute a Fire Police.
B. 
The officers of each Fire, Hose and Hook and Ladder Company shall present their list of nominees to the Fire Commissioner in January each calendar year, with sufficient time so that he can present the composite list to the Board of Aldermen for appointment at its regular January meeting.
C. 
Upon approval of the Board of Aldermen, the Fire Police will meet and select officers, at least one officer from each Fire, Hose and Hook and Ladder Company, who will be subordinate to the Fire Commissioner and the officers appointed by him.
D. 
Such Fire Police shall have the powers and perform the duties of special constables (Section 7-313a of the Connecticut General Statutes). They shall establish fire lines around any building or buildings on fire, within which lines no person not a member of the Fire Department, the Mayor, members of the Police Department or owner or owners or agent or agents of the owners of the property within such lines only excepted, shall enter. Any person who shall enter within any such lines shall be fined as provided in § 1-14, and any member of the Fire Police is authorized to arrest any person entering or attempting to enter within such lines.
All fire companies shall each consist of not more than 75 active members. Each active member shall be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the City.
The Fire Commissioner shall forthwith remove any officer or member of the Fire Department failing to comply with the provisions of this chapter subject to the requirements of Section 51 of the City Charter.
All companies of the Fire Department shall be called out by the Fire Chief for inspection of the companies and apparatus at such time and place as he shall appoint and, when so called out, shall be under the direction of the Chief. If any member of any company shall neglect to appear at the time and place so appointed and shall fail to give to the Fire Chief a satisfactory excuse for his absence, he shall forfeit $1 to the company of which he is a member, and upon neglect or refusal to pay the same, he shall be dismissed from the company by the Fire Commissioner.
When any fire shall have been extinguished and the Fire Chief shall deem it necessary to station firemen about or on the premises to prevent further outbreak of fire, he shall, when the fire is located westerly of the Naugatuck River, place one of the Assistant Chiefs in charge and shall also appoint one member from each company in the Department to assist such Assistant Chief. When any such fire is located easterly of the Naugatuck River, he shall appoint an Assistant Chief and one member of the Paugassett Hose Company and two members from the Hose Company answering the alarm of fire. The authority appointing such members of such companies shall accept the recommendations of the Captains of each company unless such authority shall have sufficient reason for not accepting such recommendations.
The persons appointed pursuant to § 21-10 shall remain on duty after they have been stationed until dismissed or relieved by the authority making such appointments or by the Assistant Chief in charge.
The compensation of persons so appointed under § 21-10 shall be $1 per hour for each man.
Any member of any fire company may be punished by the Fire Commissioner, at his discretion, either by reprimand or dismissal from the Department, for any of the following offenses: any act of insubordination toward a superior officer, neglect of duty, disorderly conduct, violation of this chapter or other City ordinance or any rule or regulation made for the government of such Department by the Fire Commissioner and approved by the Board of Aldermen. Absence from more than three fires consecutively shall be considered as neglect of duty unless good cause be shown therefor.
[Added 8-23-2001]
No member of the Fire Department shall possess, use or be under the influence of any illegal controlled substance. While on duty, no member of the Fire Department shall be under the influence of any drug which adversely affects or could adversely affect such member’s ability to safely perform the duties of a fire fighter. While on duty, no member of the Fire Department shall consume or be under the influence of alcohol.
[Added 8-23-2001]
The consumption of alcoholic beverages within the respective Derby firehouses is hereby prohibited except for volunteer-fire-company-sponsored events and for those events conducted in accordance with § 21-16 of the Derby City Code.
[Added 8-23-2001]
The respective firehouse halls may be rented for social events. For such an event, the user of the facility must provide the City with satisfactory insurance in an amount set by the City and/or execute a hold harmless and indemnification agreement in favor of the City.