Costa Mesa Municipal Code Ch. I In General

There is hereby created a fire department for the city. The fire department shall be under the supervision of the fire chief, appointed by the city manager. The functions of the fire department shall include:

(a) Enforcement of laws concerned with fire prevention.

(b) Extinguishment of structural, brush, and other types of fires.

(c) Abatement of any hazard or nuisance caused by any substance that presents a threat to the public because of toxicity, radioactivity, flammability, or other characteristics dangerous to the public health or environment.

(d) To provide rescue and/or medical care to any person in distress.

(e) To perform such other functions as may be delegated by the city manager or the city council.

(Code 1960, § 3112; Ord. No. 73-5, § 2, 2-5-73; Ord. No. 91-29, § 1, 1-6-92)

The compensation for members of the fire department shall be fixed by the city council by resolution.

(Code 1960, § 3113; Ord. No. 73-5, § 2, 2-5-73)

(a) No person who is not a regular fire department officer shall wear, display or carry an official fire department officer's badge.

(b) As used in this section, the term "official fire department officer's badge" means a badge of the size, type and design last approved by the fire chief for use by regular fire department officers. Such badge shall bear on the face thereof the title or rank of the person to whom it is issued. All badges of each title or rank shall be issued according to a method prescribed by the fire chief. All official fire department officer's badges shall be the property of the city, and shall at no time become the personal property of any individual.

(c) As used in this section, a "regular fire department officer" means all regular officer members of the fire department of this city appointed and duly commissioned, as provided by law, to perform the duties of fire department officers.

(d) Official fire department officer's badges shall be issued only by the fire chief. The fire chief shall appoint an officer of the fire department to be the custodian of all badges. No official fire department officer's badge shall be distributed to any regular fire department officer, except by the custodian, who shall make a complete record of all badges so distributed.

(e) When any person shall sever his or her connection with the fire department, or shall retire on pension, it shall be his or her duty to return his or her official fire department officer's badge to the fire chief. Notwithstanding, any provision in this section, the fire chief may authorize, based on the service or retirement, that any person who has been employed by the fire department as a regular fire department officer retain and carry his or her official fire department officer's badge lawfully issued to him or her by the fire chief, provided the word "retired" is plainly shown on the badge.

(Ord. No. 94-1, § 1, 2-22-94)