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AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND RE-ENACTING SECTIONS 441, 442, 443, 444, <br />AND 445 OF THE CITY CODE OF 1932. <br />BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville that the following <br />sections of the City Code of 1932, namely, Section 141, entitled "Fire Departments - <br />Control and Supervision"; Section Li 42, entitled, "Fire Company"; Section 11+3, entitled <br />"Chief - His duties and powers"; Section 1.44, entitled "Eligibility and oath of Chief <br />and Assistant"; and Section 445, entitled "Foreman of Fire House, his duties, etc.", <br />be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows: <br />SEC. 441. A. EMPLOYEES - ELECTION. <br />All foremen, drivers, enginemen and other persons in the employ of the <br />Fire Department shall be elected by the City Council at its September meeting, <br />for such term and at such salary as the Council may determine. In the event <br />of a vacancy the P;iayor shall fill the same by appointment, the apointee to <br />serve until the next regular meeting of the Council, when said vacancy shall <br />be filled as above provided. Such persons shall perform such duties as may be <br />required by the Fire Chief or his assistants, and he shall make such recommenda- <br />tions to the Council regarding said employees as will promote the efficiency <br />of said Department. <br />SEC. 442. A. FIRE DEPARTIViET1T - COMPANY. <br />The Fire Department of the City shall be composed of a volunteer organization <br />known as the "Charlottesville Fire Company", and such persons as may be employed <br />by the Council for the Department. Such department so organized shall be under <br />the direction and control of an officer to be styled the chief of the Fire <br />Department and one assistant chief, who shall be subject to the control and <br />direction of the Mayor and City Council. The election of the chief and his <br />assistant, together with such other officers as said company may deem necessary, <br />shall be held at its regular meeting in August of each year, or as soon there- <br />after as practicable, and their term of office shall commence on the first day <br />of September next following. The names of the officers thus chosen by said <br />Company shall be presented to the Council at its next regular meeting for con- <br />firmation. In case the Council refuses to confirm said chief and other officers, <br />said Company shall forthwith elect other persons in place of those whom the <br />Council refused to confirm, and submit their names to the Council at its next <br />regular meeting. In case the Fire Company shall fail to report the names of <br />persons to fill the positions of chief and assistant of the Fire Company, as <br />provided above, the Council shall appoint such officers, and they shall hold <br />their respective positions and be subject to the regulations herein prescribed. <br />SEC. .$43. A. CHIEF - HIS DUTIES AND POWERS. <br />The chief, or in his absence, the assistant chief, shall have control over <br />all members of the Fire Department while in service at fires, and may for in- <br />subordination thereat, suspend any member from service for such a period as he <br />may deem proper with the privilege of appeal to the Company at its next regular <br />meeting. Said chief and assistant and the Police Officers of the City, shall <br />exclude from, and prevent the interference of all persons at buildings and grounds <br />adjacent thereto, during a fire and no person, except City officials and employees <br />in the discharge of their duties, shall have the right to enter within the ropes <br />surrounding such fire, except owners of property thereat, or such other persons as <br />may obtain permission of the chief or his assistant. Said officers shall have <br />the authority to to>:e into custody all persons persisting in any interference <br />with the wor'-, of the Fire Company; and upon conviction such person shall be <br />fined not .less than $5.00 nor more than 110.00. It shall be the duty of the <br />chief, or whoever shall act as such, to '_seep a record of all fires, their place <br />and time of occurrence, and shall ascertain if possible, the cause of such fire, <br />the amount of insurance, if any, and actual loss, and ma=re report thereof to the <br />City Manager for each month by the tenth of the next month. He shall make such <br />reports to the State Commissioner of Insurance as may be required of him by state <br />law. Said chief shall deliver to his successor in office records pertaining to <br />the Fire Department which may be in his control. <br />(a) For the purpose of which the Department exists, the chief shall have full <br />supervision of all apparatus pertaining to the Fire Department. <br />(b) All orders deemed necessary by the Council for the good of the Department <br />shall be issued through the chief or his assistant, to the employees or subordinates; <br />but if the chief or his assistant refuses or neglects to communicate such orders by <br />posting or otherwise as the Council may direct, then the Council may cause its <br />orders to be issued and enforced in such manner as it may direct. <br />(c) Any charges preferred in writing against a member of the Fire Company for <br />non-performance of duty shall be brought before the Fire Company for action at <br />its next meeting not less than ten days after such charges are preferred; the action <br />of the Fire Company in the premises must be referred to the Council at its next <br />regular meeting for confirmation or further investigation or ;proceedings therein. <br />In the event of failure to refer the decision of the Company as above provided the <br />Council may proceed with the investigation de novo. <br />SEC. 444. A. ELIGIBILITY AND OATH OF CHIEF AND ASSISTANT. <br />No person shall be eligible to the office of chief who shall not have been an <br />active member of the Fire Department for three years. No person shall be eligible <br />to the office of assistant chief who shall not have been an active member of the <br />Fire Department for at least one year. The Chief of the Fire Department and the <br />assistant chief shall, before entering upon the discharge of their duties as such, <br />take an oath as prescribed for all other officers, to faithfully perform the duties <br />of the office to which they have been elected, and to carry out and perform such <br />duties as may be required by the Mayor or Council. <br />1 <br />1 <br />1 <br />1 <br />1 <br />