AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES OF THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, FIRST RESPONDERS AND RURAL FIRE PROTECTION AND REGULATING BURNING IN THE CITY OF RICH HILL, MISSOURI.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OFRICH HILL,COUNTYOFBATES, STATE OFMISSOURIAS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Appointments
(a) The Mayor, with the consent of the Board of Aldermen, shall appoint the Fire Chief.
(b) The Fire Chief with the approval of the Mayor will appoint the Assistant Fire Chief and the First Responder Coordinator.
(c) In the case of a vacancy in the office of the Fire Chief it will be filled by the chain of command, for the time being, to perform the duties of the Fire Chief, with all the rights, privileges, powers and jurisdiction of the Fire Chief, until the Fire Chief’s return, or in the case of death, resignation, removal from office, or any other cause whatever, until the Mayor with the consent of the Board of Aldermen, shall appoint a new Fire Chief.
Section 2. Fire Chief and Volunteer Fireman Qualifications.
(a) All volunteers must be at least 18 years of age or older.
(b) Have a valid driver’s license and maintain a current copy of such with the City Clerk.
(c) Provide proof of liability insurance coverage on the personal vehicle(s) used in their duties and responsibilities as a fireman.
Section 3. Volunteer First Responder Qualifications
(a) All volunteers will be at least 18 years of age or older.
(b) Have a valid driver’s license and maintain a current copy of such with the City Clerk.
(c) Provide proof of liability insurance coverage on the personal vehicle(s) used in their duties and responsibilities as a First Responder.
(d) All First Responders must be certified with proof of annual certification turned into the City Clerk.
(e) All First Responders must be certified to use any equipment with proof turned into the City Clerk.
(f) First Responders that are EMT licensed must submit a copy of such license to the City Clerk and again each time the license is renewed.
Section 4. Compensation for Fire Chief , Volunteer Fireman and First Responders
(a) The Fire Chief shall be paid on a monthly basis a sum of two hundred dollars ($200.00).
(b) The Fire Chief and all volunteers will be covered by City’s workers’ compensation insurance.
(c) The Volunteer Fireman and First Responders will be reimbursed mileage at the rate of fifty dollars ($50.00) per month as long as they attend one call and one training session per month if feasible. Maximum payment is fifty dollars ($50.00) per month not per position.
(d) Requests for mileage reimbursements must be submitted to the City Clerk no later than 15th day past the end of the month in which the mileage was accrued or the mileage reimbursement will be forfeited. The requests shall be accompanied by written documentation of the miles traveled.
Section 5. Duties and Responsibilities of the Fire Chief.
(a) Oversee all volunteers, the Assistant Fire Chief and First Responder Coordinator.
(b) Report directly to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.
(c) Oversee the use and care of equipment.
(d) Maintain equipment in constant state of readiness and arrange for the immediate repair or replacement upon discovery of defective equipment.
(e) Keep a running inventory of all equipment.
(f) Provide the Mayor with monthly activity reports.
(g) Report to the City Clerk any changes in personnel or any changes in equipment and any new equipment for insurance purposes.
(h) Furnish the Board of Aldermen a list of all volunteers and equipment issued to them. All equipment shall be owned by the City. Personal equipment shall be assigned by the Fire Chief and signed out by the City Clerk.
(i) Order a temporary outdoor burning ban on the City, whenever he or she deems that it is in the best interest of the citizens of the City, that open fire be prohibited. The temporary outdoor burning ban will be in effect until released by the Fire Chief.
(j) Prepare a budget, which will be subject to the approval of the Board of Aldermen, to the City Clerk no later than March 1 of each year.
(k) Complete all fire and medical reports and turn them into the City Clerk.
(l) Report immediately to the Mayor any suspension or revocation of his or her driver’s license or cancellation of personal vehicle insurance.
(m) Will issue a letter of 10 day notice to any fireman and First Responders whose driver’s license, auto insurance, or certification license has expired. Failure of a fireman or First Responder to submit documentation of reinstatement of the license or insurance within 10 days will result in the fireman or First Responder being removed from roster of active personnel.
(n) Administer a driving test with a checklist for each fireman and First Responder within 30 days of their addition to the roster. Firemen or First Responders will not operate fire or First Responder vehicles until they have passed the test.
Section 6. General Rules for Volunteer Firemen and First Responders
All volunteers are expected to attend the monthly training meetings at the fire station.
The Chief and Assistant Chief shall carry radios. Any other use of radios by firemen shall be at the discretion of the Fire Chief. Any misuse of radios shall cause retrieval of radio and thirty day suspension.
All volunteers using a blue light will be required to follow Missouri State Statues.
The Assistant Fire Chief will report directly to the Fire Chief.
All volunteers shall report immediately to the Fire Chief and Mayor any suspension or revocation of drivers license or cancellation of personal vehicle insurance.
First Responders will operate under protocol agreed to by the Fire Chief and any emergency medical providers.
First Responders can only go to medical calls per the approved protocol.
Only First Responders that have a valid EMT license on file with the City Clerk are allowed to ride in the ambulance from the scene.
The Fire Department will be allowed to have 16 volunteers and the Fire Chief.
The First Responders will be allowed to have 10 volunteers.
A volunteer that is a Fireman and a First Responder that will account for a Fireman and a First Responder.
Section 7. Burning
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to burn trash in the City except for yard waste, (such as leaves, trees, brush and untreated building materials) which may be burned on the property from which it is generated provided there is no burn ban in effect for the City.
(b) All fires or burning allowed under subsection (a) above shall be burned during daylight hours and attended by a responsible adult.
Section 8. Rural Fire Protection
a. The Rich Hill Fire Department will respond to all rural fires within a ten (10) mile radius of Rich Hill if the bridge and road conditions will allow.
b. A person residing or owning real estate within the 10 mile radius may become a member of the Rural Fire Protection Plan by paying $75.00 annually at City Hall in the month of August of each year.
Section 9. Billing
There will be a charge for fire calls for anyone falling in one or more of the following categories:
- Is not a citizen of Rich Hill
- Has not paid their rural fire protection membership
- Lives outside of a 10 mile radius of Rich Hill
The Fire Department will bill $250.00 per hour or portion thereof for all fire calls in the above categories.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are herby repealed.
This Ordinance shall be in force from and after its passage and approval.
Read two times, passed and approved this 22nd day of September 2009
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Richard Miller, Mayor
ATTEST:
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Rebecca Rich, City Clerk
Ayes: Dahman, Pilcher, Billingsley, Knowles
Nays: None
