Sierra Madre Municipal Code Ch. 9.08 Offenses by or Against Public Officials or Government

No person except a person authorized by the fire chief, or an employee of the city, acting within the scope of his/her public duties, shall tamper with in any manner any lock, gate, door, barrier, enclosure, fire hydrant, fire alarm circuit, fire alarm box or auxiliary fire fighting apparatus or other equipment which is installed by, under the control of, or for the use of the fire department of the city. This section shall not prohibit necessary repairs to, or maintenance of, privately owned fire protection equipment by individuals, firms or corporations owning such systems, or their agents.

(Prior code § 4252)

A. No person shall place or keep any box, fence, trash or other material including vegetation near any fire hydrant which will in any manner obscure the fire hydrant or hinder the fire department from gaining immediate access thereto.

B. Whenever the fire chief determines that the visibility of any fire hydrant is wholly or partially obscured to the view of members of the fire department answering emergency fire calls by light or sign standards, utility poles, or by similar installations on the sidewalk, street or parkway, he may cause to be painted on each such obstruction a stripe, the top of which shall be not more than six feet above the surface of the sidewalk, street or parkway in which such obstruction is located. The stripe shall not be over twelve inches in width, and shall be the same color as that of the fire hydrant so obscured.

(Prior code § 4253)

It is unlawful for any person to drive or cause to be driven or propelled any automobile, wagon or other vehicle, or any animal over or across any fire hose or fire apparatus when in use by the fire department of the city, or by any officer thereof, in any public street or alley in the city, or to interfere in any way with any fire lines that may be established by the fire department or any officer of the city when a fire is in progress, or to interfere in any manner with any member of the fire department or officers of the city in the performance of their duties at or about any fire in the city.

(Prior code § 4254)

No person shall wear, display or have in his possession any badge or shield of the same design as adopted as the official badge or shield of the city of Sierra Madre fire department, unless such person shall be a duly appointed acting member of said fire department.

Exception: The provisions of this section shall not apply to any member of the fire department who has been honorably retired on a pension and who may have in his/her possession a facsimile of the official badge or shield presented to him by the city; provided, that the same shall plainly indicate the fact that such former member is no longer in the active service of the fire department.

(Prior code § 4258)

No person shall send in any alarm except for the purpose of giving an alarm of a fire or emergency which such person has good reason to believe endangers life or property. For the purpose of this section, a "false alarm" shall be deemed and construed as being an act as follows: the giving, signaling or transmission, whether by telephone, spoken word or otherwise, information to the effect that there is a fire or other emergency at or near the place indicated by the person giving, signaling or transmitting such information.

(Prior code § 4259)

No person shall willfully make to the police department of the city any false, misleading or unfounded report, for the purpose of interfering with the operation of the police department or with the intention of misleading any police officer of the city.

(Prior code § 5014)