§ 6-15. Minimum standards for qualification.

Each fire department desiring to qualify for financial assistance under this article shall meet the following minimum standards:

(a)

A rural volunteer fire department shall be incorporated under the laws of the state. A municipal fire department shall be organized under an ordinance of the governing body of the incorporated city or town.

(b)

Each fire department shall have a fire chief, an assistant fire chief and other necessary officers and personnel, with a minimum of active members as designated by the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Office of the State Fire Marshal. A list of all members and their addresses and telephone numbers must be given to the fire marshal on or before November 30th of each year. A roster of all fire department officers shall be provided to the fire marshal's office by January 30th of the following year.

(c)

All active members of a fire department in good standing shall have a form of identification, to identify them as "bona fide firefighters." No one other than an active member of the department in good standing shall be allowed to have fire department identification in their possession.

(d)

Each fire department shall have as minimum equipment that equipment specified by the North Carolina Department of Insurance as necessary for the 9S Insurance Rating. The equipment shall be kept in good condition and operative at all times.

(e)

Each department shall carry liability insurance on its firefighters and equipment, leaving the county free from any responsibility for damages or claims resulting from the activities of its firefighters or from the operation of its equipment. Each department shall also carry worker's compensation insurance on its active members, in order to provide those members with the benefits of the Worker's Compensation Act.

(f)

Each fire department shall carry out an organized training program, which shall be specified by the fire chief in accordance with recognized local, state, and federal standards along with nationally recognized fire service training programs such as the National Fire Protection Association, and International Fire Service Training Standards. The training program shall include the training and qualifying of fire truck drivers. Each department shall participate in a minimum of one drill each month, and each fire truck shall be operated at least once each week.

(g)

The fire chief, officers and board members of each department are responsible for stressing "safety" throughout the department and throughout all phases of the department's activities. Emphasis shall be placed on the safe driving of the firefighter's own automobiles to the scene of the fire or emergency, as well as on safe practices when fighting a fire. Only qualified drivers shall drive the fire truck, and the names of qualified drivers shall be posted at the fire station and furnished to the membership of the department. Drivers shall drive with caution at all times, and they shall allow no one but active members of the fire department to ride the truck when it is on call to a fire or to other emergency.

(h)

Methods of notifying members of alarms shall be as specified by the North Carolina Department of Insurance, Office of the State Fire Marshal standards.

(i)

Each fire department shall respond to calls for mutual aid, including automatic aid response to structure fires. It shall be the duty of the fire chief to take such steps as are necessary to make sure in the event of such a call, that the district of a department answering a call is not left unprotected.

(j)

The fire chief within whose area the fire is being fought will be the final authority at the scene of the fire, or where a fire occurs in an area outside of the area of any organized department, the fire chief of the department first arriving at the scene of the fire shall be the final authority. A fire chief, line officer or fire fighter otherwise responsible, may grant permission to another person more qualified to assume the direction of fighting the fire, or dealing with the emergency, if such other person is willing to accept the responsibility. In such cases, other persons working under the direction of the fire chief or incident commander shall be immediately informed of the change of authority. Fire service personnel shall incorporate the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and acceptable Incident Command Systems (ICS) for incident scene management.

(k)

The fire chief or the senior officer or member of the department having responsibility present at the scene, shall make a full investigation of each fire and determine, if possible, the cause of the fire. If any evidence of arson develops, or the fire chief, senior officer or member is unable to make such determination as to the cause of the fire; the fire marshal shall be notified. The fire marshal shall investigate the origin, cause and circumstances surrounding such fires in accordance with state law.

(l)

All fire chiefs are responsible for keeping adequate and accurate records of all fire calls, as well as other records and reports that may be required. A properly completed National Incident Fire Reporting System (NFIRS) report shall be completed for every incident. The fire chief will also be responsible for filing with the fire marshal any additional reports which are required by the North Carolina Insurance Commissioner and/or the state auditor.

(m)

Each department shall designate a traffic section, composed of at least two members, who shall be trained in the proper handling of traffic.

(Ord. of 5-19-14(1))