19820202 1982-7ORDINANCE NO. 1982-7
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AND REENACTING ARTICLE XII OF CHAPTER 2
OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA, PROVIDING FOR A
DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Fairfax, Virginia, that Article
XII of Chapter 2 of the Code of the City of Fairfax, Virginia, providing for a department
of fire and rescue service be and the same hereby is amended and reenacted to read in its
entirety as follows:
ARTICLE XII. Department of Fire and Rescue Services and Fairfax Volunteer
Fire Department~ Incorporated.
Sec. 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."
Sec. 2-55. The Chief.
There shall be a position of the Chief within the department of fire and rescue
services; the chief shall serve without salary. The chief is the ranking officer in the
department of fire and rescue services. Fire and rescue operations and day-to-day
operations will be carried out under the control of the chief who, for these purposes,
reports to the city manager.
The chief shall: (1) at his discretion, exercise command on the fire ground; (2)
ensure members of the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated, report for
physical examinations when scheduled by the city; (3) carry out liasion activities with
the county chiefs association; (4) in coordination with the fire service administrator plan
fire ground operating procedures and response procedures within the overall area ap-
proved by the city; (5) exercise best efforts to provide volunteer manpower; (6) serve as
chairman of the city's equipment selection committee; (7) ensure that all Pairfax Volun-
teer Fire Department, Incorporated, and department of fire and rescue services person-
nel receive copies and amendments of the governing administrative regulations and other
appropriate communications; in addition, the chief is responsible to the city manager for
the enforcement of this administrative regulation; (8) establish and utilize a system for
evaluating volunteer personnel; and (9) submit and support an overall volunteer recruitin
plan. In addition, the chief will carry out other responsibilities to include coordination
tasks in administrative regulation 5-4 and enabling city ordinances.
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Sec. 2-56. Fire Service Administrator.
The office or position of fire service administrator is hereby created. This
position is at command level and is directly subordinate in chain of command to the
position of the chief, Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated. The fire service
administrator is the department head for the department of fire and rescue services.
The fire service administrator shall have responsibility for normal day-to-day station
operations and reports to the chief for these operations. The fire service administrator
shall be supervisor of the city fire marshal and his subordinates and the battalion chiefs
and their subordinates.
The fire service administrator shall: (t) assi§n duties and tasks as required to
shift commanders (paid and volunteer); (2) establish minimum physical, performance and
trainin§ requirements for all fire and rescue personnel (paid and volunteer); (3) ensure
that all fire and rescue personnel (paid and volunteer) meet the aforementioned minimum
requirement; and (4) evaluate performance of paid personnel.
Sec. 2-57. Fire Company
The Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated, a volunteer firefi§htin§
organization, is designated and approved as a fire company of the city in accordance with
Title 27, Chapter 2 of the State Code.
The principal officer of such fire company shall be known as "the chief." The
chief shall have overall responsibility for fire and rescue operations and reports for this
purpose to the city mana§er.
The Fairfax Vounteer Fire Department, Incorporated, shall promulgate by-laws
to ensure that the Chief is elected based on objective criteria relating to training, expe-
rience and management skills.
On an annual basis the fire service administrator shall review the records and
demonstrated performance of volunteer personnel to determine those qualified for the
position of chief to assist the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated, in
electing a chief based on objective criteria. This review shall be based on city standards
for command officers/chief (which as a minimum shall meet those in existence in Fairfax
County) and Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated, by-laws. Those individ-
uals meeting the standards shall be certified as qualified for Chief by the fire service
administrator. The results of the review shall be transmitted in a "certification letter"
to the board of directors of the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department, Incorporated, 60
days prior to their annual election with an information copy to the city manager.
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If no individual is certified by the fire service administrator as being qualified
for the chief's position, the operational duties of the chief shall be assumed by the fire
service administrator on a interim basis until an individual qualifies.
Upon recommendation of the city manager, the city council shall have the right,
by unanimous vote, to remove the person serving as the chief for cause. In the event of
such removal for cause, the fire service administrator shall assume operational duties of
the chief until an individual is qualified and elected as the chief.
Sec. 2-58. Chain of Command.
There shall be one integrated chain of command for the fire and rescue service
for paid and volunteer personnel. This chain of command shall be as follows:
I
Battalion Chiefs
Ca[~tains
Lieutenants
I
Sergeants
CCT and Firefighters
City Council
City ~anager
The Chief
I
Fire Service Administrator
I
Fire Marshals
I
Inspectors
Paid and volunteer personnel will be assigned to the positions subordinate to the
fire service administrator by the fire service administrator based solely on their meeting
the city's minimum physical, performance and training standards.
Sec. 2-59. Fire and Rescue Service Personnel.
The city manager shall hire all personnel in accordance with city ordinances and
procedures after consultations with the chief.
This ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
Introduced: 3anuary 12~ 1982
Adopted: February 2~ 1982
Mayor
Attest:
~t(~erk