ORDINANCE NO. 852
AN ORDINANCE CREATING A FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO, AND DEFINING THE POWERS AND DUTIES THEREOF.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO:
Section 1. FIRE DEPARTMENT CREATED. There is hereby created a department of municipal government of the City of Grand Junction, Colorado, which shall be known as the Fire Department and which shall consist of a Fire Chief, assistant Fire Chief, and such other officers and firemen as the Fire Chief, under the direction and control of the City Manager, shall specify.
Section 2. DUTIES OF FIRE CHIEF. The Fire Chief shall be the head of said Department, under the direction and control of the City Manager. He shall be appointed by the City Manager and he shall be responsible for the discipline and conduct of the Department. He shall make an annual report to the City Manager in writing of the state of the Fire Department with a detailed statement, as nearly as can be ascertained, of the number of fires, causes thereof, number of buildings destroyed or injured, amount of property destroyed by fire and the insurance thereon, and all accidents occasioned at fires. He shall also make any other reports which may be requested by the City Manager.
Section 3. FIRE CHIEF INVESTIGATE CAUSE OF FIRES. It shall be the duty of the Fire Chief to inquire into and investigate the cause of all fires which may occur in the City as soon as he reasonably can after they occur, and he shall keep a record of his proceedings and of the circumstances of each case. He shall have the right to enter upon the premises wherein any fire has occurred if necessary in order to investigate the origin of the fire.
Section 4. FIRE CHIEF INSPECTS SCHOOLS, THEATERS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, AND BUILDINGS HOUSING EXPLOSIVES OR INFLAMMABLE SUBSTANCES. The Fire Chief shall, at least once every six months, inspect or cause to be inspected by a member of the Fire Department the school buildings, public halls, theaters, churches, all buildings used for manufacturing purposes, all houses designed or used as a residence for more than two families, all buildings situated with the fire limits and all buildings where explosives and inflammable substances are kept, for the purpose of determining the safety of the building, the sufficiency of its doors, passageways, aisles and stairways and generally its facilities for egress in case of fire or other accident happening, the overloading of floors, and the storage of combustibles; and he shall cause to have prosecuted all violations of the ordinances of the City in any way concerning the prevention or extinguishment of fires.
Section 5. ADDITIONAL POWERS OF FIREMEN. The Fire Chief, assistant chief, or other firemen in authority at any fire, shall have the power to prescribe limits in the vicinity of any fire within which no person may enter except those who reside therein, members of the Fire Department, policemen, and such others as may be admitted by the fireman in charge. He shall also have the power, if need be, to summons any and all persons present to aid in extinguishing any fire, in removing property from any burning and any exposed building, and in guarding the same, and any able-bodied person present refusing to obey such summons shall be liable to arrest, and upon conviction shall be fined.
Section 6. POWER TO DESTROY BUILDINGS. The Fire Chief or the Assistant Fire Chief, or in case of their absence, the City Manager, may direct the members of the Fire Department or others to cut down or remove any building, erection, fence or any material for the purpose of checking the progress of any fire, and they shall have the power to blow up or cause to be blown up, with powder or otherwise, any building or erection during the progress of any fire for the purpose of extinguishing or checking the same.
Section 7. FIREMEN WEAR UNIFORMS. All members of the Fire Department shall wear uniforms or insignia of office as may be prescribed by the regulations of the Department, to be furnished by the City. Whenever any member shall leave the Department he shall immediately deliver his uniforms, insignia, and all other articles in his possession belonging to the Department to the Fire Chief.
Section 8. HINDERING OF FIREMEN FORBIDDEN. No person shall willfully offer any hindrance to any officer or fireman in the performance of his duties at a fire, or shall willfully in any manner destroy, injure or deface any fire apparatus belonging to the City of Grand Junction.
Section 9. INJURING OR OBSTRUCTING FIRE HOSE AND FIRE HYDRANTS. No person shall drive any vehicle on or across any unprotected fire hose without the consent of the fireman in charge of such hose; and no person shall in any manner obstruct the use of any fire hydrant.
Passed and adopted this 2nd day of April, 1952.
/s/ Oscar Hanson, Jr.
President of the City Council
ATTEST:
/s/ Helen C. Tomlinson
City Clerk
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance, being Ordinance No. 852 was introduced, read and ordered published by the City Council of the City of Grand Junction, Colorado, at a regular meeting of said body held on the 19th day of March, 1952, and that the same was published in The Daily Sentinel, a newspaper published and in general circulation in said city at least ten days before its final passage.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of said city, this 3rd day of April, 1952.
/s/ Helen C. Tomlinson
City Clerk
First Pub March 21, 1952
Final Pub April 4, 1952