Chapter 12 — FIRE DEPARTMENT

The fire department consists of a chief engineer and as many other officers and firemen as are appointed with the approval of the city council.

(Ord. No. 438, §2.)

It shall be the duty of the fire commissioner, appointed by the city council, in conjunction with the city council to have complete supervision over the fire department and to require the chief engineer to make a full report annually concerning the department in general, including a description of the condition of the department and making suggestions and recommendations for major improvements and telling of the difficulties of the department during the year. The chief engineer shall be directly responsible to this body in his capacity as head of the fire department.

(Ord. No. 438, §1.)

The chief engineer shall be the chief executive officer of the fire department and shall be vested with the following powers and duties:

(a)

To have direct control, management and direction of all officers and men of the fire department and the power to detail any of them to such public service as he may see fit which in his judgment is to the best interest and efficiency of the department.

(b)

To exercise supreme command over the department at fires and over all equipment belonging to it.

(c)

To see that the premises on which fires occur are left in such condition that they will not rekindle and cause further damage to life and property.

(d)

To make a complete investigation of each fire, determine, make and keep a record of the cause, amount of loss to building, and the contents, amount of insurance coverage and insurance paid, number and description of each building destroyed or damaged, together with names of the owners and occupants.

(e)

To make, with the approval of the fire commissioner and city council, rules and regulations governing the conduct, authority and duties of each fireman and including organizing the internal working of the fire department, including appointments and promotions, authority of the various minor officers under him, discipline, response to alarms, drills, care of equipment and apparatus, designation and wearing of insignia, uniforms and other matters pertaining to the department not expressly provided for in this chapter.

(f)

To enforce all laws, ordinances and regulations relative to fire zones and fire protection.

(Ord. No. 438, §3.)

The chief engineer shall not be dismissed except for cause satisfactory to the city council, and then only on action of the city council as a body. He shall, if requested by him, be given a public hearing before the city council acting as a trial board before dismissal is final, but such request must be made by him within twenty-four hours after notification of suspension or

dismissal by written request for such hearing filed by him with the city clerk within the twenty-four hour period, addressed to the city council.

(Ord. No. 438, §9.)

The chief engineer is required to keep and should devise forms and methods for keeping records as follows:

Fires:

1. Date, time and location.

2. Probable origin or cause.

3. Method of extinguishment of fires.

4. Amount of property loss.

5. Valuation of property involved at fires.

6. Amount of insurance carried on buildings and contents.

7. Amount of insurance paid on buildings and contents.

8. Description of buildings and contents damaged or destroyed and name of owner and occupant.

9. Whether alarm originated by telephone or box alarm.

10. Losses due to exposures.

Such other records as are provided for in this chapter and in any rules and regulations promulgated under authority of this chapter by the chief engineer and fire commissioner with approval of the city council.

(Ord. No. 438, §5.)

Persons not connected with the Brawley Fire Department shall not be permitted to ride in any fire apparatus without the express written consent of the fire chief.

The fire chief may grant permission to persons not connected with the fire department to ride in a fire apparatus under the following conditions:

a.

A request is received to permit a person or persons not connected with the fire department to ride on a fire apparatus in connection with a parade, community event, fire department open house, or other similar event;

b.

The event that is the subject of the request is to be held in the city of Brawley;

c.

The person or persons permitted to ride in the fire apparatus each sign a written liability waiver prior to riding on the fire apparatus. In the event that the person or persons receiving permission to ride on a fire apparatus are minors, the liability waiver shall be executed by the minor's parent or guardian;

d.

During the entire duration of the time that persons not connected with the Brawley Fire Department are permitted to ride on the fire apparatus, the fire apparatus shall be deemed out of service, dispatch shall be notified that the apparatus is out of service and the apparatus shall not be permitted to respond to any call for service while persons not connected with the fire department are in the apparatus; and

e.

At all times the fire apparatus shall be operated by properly qualified Brawley Fire Department personnel.

The remaining provisions of city of Brawley Ordinance Number 438 shall not be affected by this section.

The ordinance codified in this section shall be effective thirty days after its adoption and the city clerk shall cause a certified copy of the ordinance to be published one time within fifteen days after its adoption in the Imperial Valley Press, a newspaper of general circulation printed in Imperial County and circulated in the city of Brawley.

(Ord. No. 438, §6.)

(Ord. No. 2018-02, 5-1-2018)

Information relative to fires, alarms or department business shall not be given out to anybody except with the express knowledge and consent of the chief engineer to whom all persons making such inquiries shall be referred.

(Ord. No. 438, §7.)

Members of the fire department are prohibited from using the telephone service therein for any other purpose than business connected with the department. One telephone should be reserved for fire calls only and shall be used only for such purpose or in extreme cases for other necessities.

(Ord. No. 438, §8.)