HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrd1968-365
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THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA
ORDINANCE NO. 365
AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE
CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA, PRESCRIBING RULES AND REGULA-
TIONS GOVERNING OPERATIONS OF SAID DEPARTMENT AND
REPEALING ANY AND ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINAN-
CES IN CONFLICT HER EWITH:
THE CITY OF SEWARD, ALASKA, ORDAINS:
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEWARD,
ALASKA, THAT A DEPARTMENT TO BE HEREAFTER KNOWN AS THE SEWARD
VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, ,THE OBJECT OF WHICH SHALL BE THE
PREVENTION OF FIRE AND THE PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY,
IS HEREBY CREATED AS FOLLOWS WITH THE RULES AND REGULATIONS
HEREIN SPECIFIED BEING THOSE WHICH WILL GOVERN THE ADMINISTRATION
AND OPERATIONS OF SUCH DEPARTMENT.
SECTION I - OFFICERS:
I.A - Chief:
The Chief shall be the Supervisor of the Department, subject to the
laws of the State of Alaska, ordinances of the City, and the rules and regulations
herein adopted, and shall be under the administrative supervision of the City
Manager.
(1) The Chief shall be held responsible for the general condition and
efficient operation of the Department, training of members, and the performance
of all other duties imposed upon him.
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(2) The Chief -ma:r inspect, or cause to be inspected by members qf
the Department, the fire hydrants, cisterns, and other sources of water supply at
least twice each year.
(3) The Chief shall maintain a library or file of publications on fire
prevention and fire protection and shall make use of it to the best advantage of aJl
members.
(4) The Chief shall make every effort to attend all fires and direct
the officers and members in the performance of their duties.
(5) The Chief shall see that the citizens are kept informed on fire
hazards in the community and on the activities of the Department.
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(6) The Chief shall see that each fire is carefully and thoroughly
investigated to determine its cause, and in case of suspicion of incendiarism, shall
secure and preserve all possible evidence for future use in the case.
1. B - Assistant Chiefs:
There shall be a First Assistant Chief and a Second Assistance Chief,
who shall report to the Chief at fires and assist him in the discharge of his duties.
(1) In the absence of the Chief, the First Assistant Chief shall
Command the Department and be held responsible therefor in all respects with the
full powers and responsibilities of the Chief.
(2) In the absence of both the Chief and the First Assistant Chief,
the Second Assistant Chief shall command the Department, with all power and
responsibilities of the Chief.
SECTION 2 - COMPANIES AND COMPANY OFFICERS:
2. A - The Volunteer fire fighting force shall be divided into Companies, tl)e
number of which shall be determined by the Chief and based upon the needs of the
community to provide proper fire protection.
2. B - Each Company of the Department shall be in direct charge of a
Captain appointed by the Chief and responsible to the Chief for the efficient opera-
tion of the Company.
2. C - The Chief shall appoint a Lieutenant for each Company who shall in
the absence of his Captain, exercise the same duties and have the same powers as
devolve upon the Captain. At all other times the Lieutenant shall perform such
duties as the Captain may direct.
2. D - In the absence of the Chief and both Assistant Chiefs, the Captain of
the first company to arrive at a fire shall command the entire Department, and
in his absence the Lieutenant of the first company to arrive shall take command
until the arrival of a superior officer.
2. E - Each Captain shall preserve the discipline of his Company and instruct
the members in their duties. Each Captain shall direct the operation of his com-
pany at fires and carry out the orders of the Chief. He shall report to the Chief
the condition in the position to which he has been assigned and make recommenda-
tions where needed to more effectively control the fire. He shall supervise the
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relief of his men during severe fires to keep them in the most effective condition
possible.
2. F - Each Captain, together with one of his drivers, shall inspect all
equipment in his charge each month to see that all equipment is clean, in its proper
place, and ready for service. A complete report on the same shall be made each
month to the Chief.
2. G - Each Captain shall keep or cause to be kept a chronological record of
all activities of his Company, and also a record of the fire and drill service of
each member of the Company. For this purpose and for other secretarial work
of the Company, he may appoint one of the members of the Company as Secretary
of the Company.
2. H - Company officers shall see that all hose is thoroughly cleaned and
dried after each time it is used at fires and drills, and that no wet or dirty hose
is placed on the apparatus.
2. I - Company officers shall see that hose is removed from apparatus every
three months and reloaded with folds in different places to prevent cracking, and
that water is run through it once every six months. Permanent records shall be
maintained in approved form furnished by the Chief. .
2.J - For the purpose of teamwork and efficiency in handling the apparatus
and equipment and dividing the work as equally as pOSSible among all members,
the Captain shall assign members of his Company to duties of drivers, laddermen
and nozzlemen.
SECTION 3 - DRIVERS:
3. A - Drivers shall be appointed by the Captain from the membership of
each Company and approved by the Chief and Assistant Chief. They shall be
appointed for their driving and mechanical ability and shall be thoroughly famili~r
with the operation of the apparatus to which they are assigned.
3. B - The driver of each piece of apparatus shall make an inspection of his
apparatus after each run. Such inspection shall include checking the oil, gasoline,
water, battery, and tires. He shall report to his officer a record of the pumpin~
time, hose lines used, and pressures maintained. One of the drivers shall be
assigned to make an inspection each month of the apparatus to which he is assigned
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and shall make a report thereon to his officer. Particular attention and study shall
be given the instruction manual supplied by the manufacturer of the apparatus.
3. C - No member of any Company shall drive fire apparatus except the
regularly appolnted drivers unless directed to do so by a Company or Department
officer. .
3. D - Each Driver shall be thoroughly familiar with the Territory to be
served by his Company, including the condition of routes during the different seq-
sons and the location:J of all water supplies. Up to date City map showing fire
hydrants and other facilities shall be posted at all times in the Fire Department
garage.
3. E - Drivers shall observe speed limits which are consistent with safety,
considering traffic, weather, and road conditions. Special care shall be taken when
approaching all intersections, the apparatus being kept under control at all time~.
3. F - Upon response to an alarm, the first driver reaching the apparatus
shall drive the apparatus to the fire provided at least one other member rides
with him.
3. G - Drivers of pumpers shall take care not to operate the pumper at a
greater capacity of pressure than that for which it was designed.
3. H - Drivers of pumpers shall be able to make mental calculations of
engine pressures requi.red for various sizes of nozzles, lengths of hose, vertical
distances of nozzles above or below pumper level, for siamesed lines, and other
hook-ups that may be necessary.
3. I - Drivers of pumpers not actually driving or operating the pumpers may
be ordered by the officer in charge to act as extra nozzlemen or laddermen.
Drivers of apparatus other than pumpers shall act as extra nozzlemen or ladder-
men upon arrival at fires as may be ordered by the officer in charge.
SECTION 4 - LADDERMEN:
4. A - General duties of laddermen at fires are to ascertain that all occupants
of a burning building are out, to nake rescues, raise ladders, and open up and
ventilate burning buildings so tha~ nozzle men may quickly bring their streams on
the fire. Laddermen carrying a;:es and plaster hooks should accompany nozzlemen
working inside buildings, to op€r partitions or ceilings.
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4. B - Laddermen shall quickly remove axes, plaster hooks, and necessary
ladders from the apparatus, carry them to the building and use them as directed.
4. C - Laddermen shall be responsible for salvage operations to reduce water
damage. They shall promptly spread salvage covers where they will do the most
good, usually below the fire. They shall quickly assembly the contents of the rooms
involved so as to cover as much property as possible with one cover. After the
fire, water and debris shall be removed, holes in the roof covered if possible, and
salvage covers shall be cleaned and dried.
SECTION 5 - NOZZLEMEN:
S.A - The duties of nozzelmen shall include the handling of small exting-
uishers and water and chemicalllnes to extinguish fires with a minimum aount of
water damage.
5. B - At fires in buildings hose lines shall be advanced into the building with
the nozzles shut off and not opened until fire is seen. After the main body of the
fire is extinguished the nozzle shall be shut off and the remaiooer cleaned up with
small hose or a small tip on the shut-off nozzle.
5. C - In laying a line from a hydrant to a fire, a nozzleman shall drop off
the truck with the butt end of the hose and a wrench, connect to the hydrant, and
stand by for the signal for water.
5. D - In laying a line from the fire to a hydrant or cistern nozzlemen shall
drop off at the fire, with the nozzle and ample hose to reach the fire and the ladder-
men's tools shall be unloaded. The engine shall then be driven to the hydrant and
the hose connected.
SECTION 6 - GENERAL:
6. A - All members shall assist in the work of the department whether it
may be their assigned duties or not, and in the absence of any specific orders or
apparent work to be done, they shall report to the officer in charge of their Com-
pany.
6. B - All members shall give strict obedience to the orders of their appoint-
ed and elected officers.
6. C - Fire alarm signals shall be such as prescribed by the Chief, and it
shall be his duty to test or have tested at a regularly designated time each day
the fire alarm system to see that it is working properly.
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6. D - When a fire alarm is given, members in the neighborhood of the fire
station shall promptly report to the station and assist in getting the apparatus to
the fire and in operation. At least two members, one of whom must be a driver,
shall respond with the apparatus. Should the apparatus have departed, they shall
immediately proceed to the fire by the most direct route to assume their assigned
duties or assist in any work necessary. Members not in the neighborhood of the
fire station shall respond for service by the best poSSible route.
6. E - The regular meetings and drUls of the Department shall be held on
the First and Third Wednesday of each month at 7: 30 P. M. in the Fire Station.
Special meetings and drills to be held at a specified time and place may be called
by the Chief. All members must attend. Any member absent from three
successive meetings and drills without permission from the Chief shall be dropped
from the membership roll. The Chief shall maintain a permanent record of all
drills and meetings. Such record shall show those present, and subjects covered
during meetings.
6. F - In good weather, practice drills with the apparatus and equipment
shall be held. In bad weather, the Chief or other officer in charge shall conduct
discussion and instruction periods in fire prevention, hazards, fire fighting,
inspection work, salvage, and other subjects of interest and value to increase
the efficiency of the Department.
6. G - Each member is responsible for his fire helmet, coot, boots,
spanner, and hose tool, and when his membership in the Department is terminated
he shall return all Department property in his possession to the Chief.
6. H - No person not a member of the Department, unless authorized by a
Department officer, shall be allowed to ride on the apparatus or to handle equip-
ment.
6. I - Work at fires and drills shall be done in a quick, orderly, and quiet
manner .
6.J - All cotton rubber-lined hose shall be subjected to a hydrostatic test
each spring of not less than 250 pounds per square inch (or highter if the normal
fire pressure is greater than 100 pounds) and held at that pressure for at least
three minutes.
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6. K - Annual dues to firemen's and chiefs' associations and the National
i.i'ir8 Protectio::l Association shalLbelegitimate expenditures of the Department.
Passed and adopted by the Volunteer Fire Department of Seward, Alaska,
day of
, 1968.
this
PublicatIon of this I)rdinance shall be made by posting a copy hereof for a
period of ten (10) days on the City Hall Bulletin Board, and by publishing a notice
of the place of posting and a brief statement of the purpose of this Ordinance in
a newspaper of general circulation in the City, within a reasonable time.
This OrJina,1ce shall be effective ten (10) days following the date of posting.
First reading: AUG ?~ 1008
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Second reading:gf-'
I(
,1I0{',
c.w.
PASSED AND APPROVED by the City Council of The City of Seward,
Alask?, this 23
day of
SEP
, 1968.
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A?;est / /"
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James R. Eilip
CIty Clerk-Treasarer
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