There is hereby established a fire department in the city, to consist of the following:

(a)   Fire Chief

(b)   Assistant Fire Chief

(c)   Not more than 3 Captains

(d)   Not more than 20 regular members

(e)   Not more than 8 substitute members

(f)   One Safety Officer

All members of the Fire Department shall be appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the City Council. Full time drivers shall be considered substitute members. Recommendations for membership shall be made to the City Council by the Fire Chief with the consent of the Fire Department. There shall be one fire department. In the absence or disability of the Fire Chief, the Assistant Fire Chief shall be in charge of the Fire Department.

(Code 1972, 2.12.010; Ord. 1127; Ord. 1250; Code 2018)

Members of the Fire Department shall be volunteers. They shall meet at least twice each month for practice and drill. To maintain regular firefighter membership, each regular member must attend scheduled meetings, unless otherwise excused by proper authority. The Fire Chief shall keep or direct the secretary of the Fire Department to keep a record of attendance of such meetings. Any regular member who shall be absent without approval of the Fire Chief from four consecutive meetings shall automatically be expelled from the Fire Department. The Fire Chief shall receive a monthly sum of money in accordance with a separate ordinance fixing his salary and term of office. The compensation of all other members of the Fire Department shall be provided for by resolution of the City Council as time to time adopted.

(Code 1972, 2.12.020; Ord. 1127; Ord. 1250; Code 2018)

The chief of the fire department shall be under the supervision of the city administrator and shall have immediate superintendency and control over and be responsible for the care and condition of the fire apparatus and equipment. It shall be the chief’s duty to see that all such apparatus and equipment is ready at all times for immediate use. It shall also be the chief s duty to submit a written report as to the condition of all fire apparatus and equipment to the governing body at their first meeting in May of each year.

(Code 1972, 2.12.030; Code 1998; Code 2018)

(a)   The fire chief shall be responsible-for the discipline of the volunteer members and is hereby given authority to suspend or expel any member for refusal to obey orders or for misconduct or failure to do his or her duty at a fire.

(b)   The chief shall also have the right to summon any and all persons present to aid in extinguishing a fire or to aid in removing personal property from any building on fire or in danger thereof and in guarding the same.

(c)   At fires the chief shall have full power, control and command of all persons present and shall direct the use of the fire apparatus and equipment, and command the fire fighters in the discharge of their duties. He or she shall take such measures as he or she shall deem proper and necessary in the preservation and protection of property and extinguishing of fires.

(Code 1972, 2.12.040:050; Code 1998)

The chief of the fire department shall keep in convenient form a complete record of all fires. Such information shall include the time and location, construction of building, owner, occupancy, how extinguished, value of building and contents, loss on building and contents, insurance on building and contents, members responding to the alarm, and any other information deemed advisable.

(Code 1972, 2.12.060; Code 1998)

In the absence of the chief, the assistant fire chief shall perform all the duties and have all the authority and responsibility of the chief as conferred by this chapter.

(Code 1998)

It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to take away or use any fire apparatus or equipment for any private purpose or for any person willfully and without proper authority to remove, take away, keep or conceal any tool, appliance, equipment or other article used in any way by the fire department.

(Code 1972, 2.12.080; Code 1998)

(a)   All fire apparatus and equipment is hereby given and granted the exclusive right-of-way over and through all streets, avenues, alleys and public thoroughfares in the city while enroute to fires or in response to any alarm, and it shall be unlawful for any person or persons to in any manner obstruct or hinder the apparatus or equipment.

(b)   All emergency vehicles of the fire department, while proceeding on official business, shall be operated in strict accordance with the requirements of the Kansas Statutes regarding the operation of emergency vehicles, and each departmental member assigned to the operation of emergency vehicles shall familiarize himself or herself with the requirements of the law and govern himself or herself accordingly. Any operator violating the provisions of the state law shall be liable for disciplinary action.

(Code 1998)

It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to drive any vehicle over any fire hose laid on any street, alley or lot. This section shall not apply to any apparatus or vehicle being driven by members of the fire department.

(Code 1998)

It shall be unlawful for any person to place or cause to be placed upon or about any fire hydrant any rubbish, building material, fence or other obstruction of any character, or in any manner obstruct, hinder, or delay the fire department in the performance of its duties in case of fire. Nor shall any person fasten to any fire hydrant any guy rope or brace, nor stand any vehicle within 15 feet of any such hydrant.

(Code 1998)

It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly make or sound or cause to be made or sounded, or by any other means, any false alarm.

(Code 1998)

The chief of the fire department is authorized and directed to enter into mutual assistance pacts with the chiefs of the fire departments of such other cities as the chief deems advisable and upon such conditions as the chief deems advisable and upon such conditions as the chief deems necessary for the purpose of planning in advance what firefighters and equipment of each department will be made mutually available under the authority of 12-111 G.S. Supp. 1947, upon the occurrence of any emergency.

(Code 1972, 2.12.090)

The chief of the fire department is authorized and directed to cooperate with any state, district or local civil defense agency for the purpose of coordinating his or her mutual assistance pacts with the overall planning of civilian defense.

(Code 1972, 2.12.100)