[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.