19850212 1985-2Ordinance No. 1985-2
AN ORDINANCE REPEALING AND ENACTING A NEW ARTICLE XII OF
CHAPTER 2 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA,
PERTAINING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
AND THE FAIRFAX CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, INC.
BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Fairfax,
Virginia, that the existing Article XII of Chapter 2 of the City of Fairfax,
Virginia, be and hereby is repealed in its entirety and that there hereby is
enacted a new Article XII of Chapter 2 of the Code of the City of Fairfax,
Virginia, which shall read in its entirety as follows:
ARTICLE XII DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
AND FAIRFAX VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, INCORPORATED
See. 2-54. Established
There is hereby established a department of the City government
which shall be known as the "department of fire and rescue services." Such
department shall consist of both career and volunteer members.
Sec. 2-55. The Chief
There shall be the position of "The Department Chief~' within the
Department of Fire and Rescue Services. The Department Chief shall be
the department head, appointed by the City Manager, after consultation
with the BOard of Directors of the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department,
Inc., and with the concurrence of the City Council. The Department Chief
shall have responsibility and authority for all operations and administration
of the department. The Department Chief shall be directly responsible to
the City Manager
The Department ChiefTM responsibilities shall include but not be
limited to; (1) assign duties and tasks as required for all personnel
(career/volunteer); (2) ensure that all fire and rescue personnel meet or
exceed the minimum physical qualifications and training requirements as
established; (3) in cooperation with the Chief, Fairfax City Volunteer Fire
Department, Inc., he shall ensure that members of the Fairfax City
Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., are Properly trained and promoted,
adequately recruited, and are completely integrated into the Department
of Fire and ResCue Services in order to ensure that the City has an
efficient and cost effective Department' of Fire and Rescue Services; (4)
evaluate performance of career personnel on an annual basis; (5) ensure
that appropriate training is made periodically available, either in-house or
externally, for volunteer and career command and line officers, drivers,
and firefighters/reseue personnel; (6) plan fire ground operating procedures
and response procedures within the overall area approved by the City; (7)
ensure that all Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. and
Department of Fire and Rescue Services personnel receive copies of
amendments of the governing ordinances, administrative regulations and
other appropriate communications; (8) be responsible for the enforcement
of relevant ordinances; (9) implement an overall volunteer recruiting
program as developed with the Chief, Fairfax City Volunteer Fire
Department, Inc.; (10) carry out other responsibilities as assigned by the
City Manager; and (11) in cooperation with the Chief, Fairfax City
Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., he shall be responsible to train and
develop a minimum of 30 volunteers and adequate officers.
The Board of Directors of the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire
Department, Inc. shall be solicited by the City Manager on an annual basis
as a formal part of the evaluation process of the Department Chief.
1985-2 -2-
On an annual basis the Department Chief shall review the records of
volunteer personnel to determine those qualified for the position of Deputy
Chief to assist the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. in electing
a volunteer chief based on objective criteria. This review shall be based on
National Fire Protection Association and Commonwealth of Virginia
standards for command officers/chief, which, as a minimum, shall meet
those in existence in Fairfax County and, as a maximum, those required of
the Department Chief and the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department,
Inc., by-laws. Those individuals meeting the standards shall be certified as
qualified for Deputy Chief by the Department Chief. The results of the
review shall be transmitted in a "certification letter" to the Board of
Directors of the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. 60 days prior
to their annual election with an information copy to the City Manager.
If no individual is certified by the Department Chief as being
qualified for the Deputy Chiel~s position, the operational duties of the
Deputy Chief shall be assumed by the Department Chief on an interim basis
until an individual qualifies, and he will be assisted in this by a volunteer
assistant chief, if one is qualified.
See. 2-56. Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Departmentt Inc.
The Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., a volunteer fire-
fighting organization, is hereby designated as the fire company of the City
in accordance with Title 27, chapter 2 of the state code. The Chief of the
Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. shall be known as the Deputy
Chief of the Department of Fire and Rescue Services. He will be elected
from and by the membership of the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire
Department, Inc. in accordance with their corporate by-laws. Candidates
for Volunteer Chief shall meet the standards and qualifications as
established under sections 2-55 and 2-57 of this article.
The Volunteer Chief shall serve without salary and direct the
operations of the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
The volunteer chief shall: (1) ensure that members of the Fairfax
City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. report for physical examinations
when scheduled by the City; (2) carry out liaison activities with the Fairfax
County Chiefs Association; (3) serve as Chairman of the Fairfax City
Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., equipment selection committee; (4)
exercise best efforts to provide volunteer manpower in accordance with the
established dury night program (5) ensure that each volunteer member
records a minimum of 40 training hours per calendar year; and (6) discharge
all responsibilities as outlined in the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire
Department, Inc., corporate by-laws.
The Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. will provide the
Department Chief with a logging report and active duty hours, according to
a format provided by the Department Chief, on a quarterly basis according
to the City fiscal year to substantiate training and active duty status as
outlined in the ordinance. The Department Chief shall verify this report.
Failure to submit these reports will cause individual(s) to lose certification
until such proper documentation is provided.
See. 2-57. Qualifications for Officers
Qualifications for each rank shall be the same for all career and
volunteer personnel, as outlined in NFPA 1001-1021 and Commonwealth of
Virginia standards, except for educational requirements. Time-in-grade
requirements can be waived in special circumstances when approved by any
two of the following: Department Chief, Deputy Chief, and City Manager.
1985-2
-3-
Sec. 2-58. Chain of Command
There shall be one integrated chain of command for the fire and
rescue services for career and volunteer personnel. This chain of command
shall establish an organizational structure that provides for an equal
number of career and volunteer personnel to be promoted to each officer
position, as may be required. AH candidates shall meet the minimum
qualifications and requirements as delineated in section 2-57. Individuals
shah only assume the responsibilities of their rank as it relates to the
operations of the fire and rescue service during assigned work schedule as
established by the Department Chief, with the exception of the Deputy
Chief who serves as second in command at all times. This section is also
not intended to preclude volunteer officers from responding from the
station to man reserve equipment assuming they are qualified according to
the standards of this ordinance..
/
Fire Marshal
/
Inspectors
City Council
/
City Manager
/
Department Chief
(Senior Career Officer with
appropriate qualifications)
/
Deputy Chief
(Elected volunteer chief with appropriate qualifications)
/
Shift Commanders
(Career Battalion Officers and voIunteer Assistant Chiefs)
/
Captains
(Career and Volunteer)
/
Lieutenants
(Career and Volunteer)
/
Sergeants
(Career and Volunteer)
/
EMT's~ CCT's~ Firefighters
(Career and Volunteer)
See. 2-59. Fire and Rescue Service
The City Manager shah hire aH personnel in accordance with City
ordinances and procedures after consultations with the Department Chief
and Deputy Chief.
Sec. 2-60. Fire Services Advisory Committee
There shall be a fire services advisory committee consisting of the
City Manager (chairman), the Department Chief, Deputy Chief, the
President of the FairfaX City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., and two
citizen representatives appointed by the City Council, one upon
· recommendations of the City Manager and one upon recommendation of the
Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. The responsibilities of such
committee shall be those assigned by the City Council but not limited to
advising the City Manager on issues involving: (1) disputes between the
career and volunteer members, and (2) development of ordinances and
regulations not inconsistent with this article.
See. 2-61. Fire and Reseue Apparatus
The Fairfax City .Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. shah be responsible
for the purchase of fire and rescue apparatus as needed for the protection
1985-2 -4-
of the City's service area. The City may participate in the payment for
such purchases as agreed upon with the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire
Department, Inc. Ail purchased apparatus shall require agreement between
the City and the Fairfax City Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
Sec. 2-62. Department
It shall be the responsibility of all department personnel to create and
maintain a climate that fosters maximum cooperation between volunteer
and paid personnel.
Introduced: January 22~ 1985
Public Hearing: February 12~ 1985
Adopted:
ATTEST:
February 12, 1985
~City Clerk '