The municipality operates the Municipal Fire Department through the Municipal Fire Chief and firefighters. The governing body, for the purpose of defraying the cost of the management, maintenance and improving the Fire Department may each year levy a tax not exceeding the maximum limits prescribed by state law, on the taxable value of all taxable property within the municipality. The revenue from the tax shall be known as the Fire Department Fund. The Fund shall be at all times in the possession of the Municipal Treasurer. In addition to the above, the Fire Department is authorized to enter into agreements with the appropriate Rural Fire Districts for the mutual aid and protection of the residents to both the municipality and of the Rural Fire Districts. The agreement so entered into shall be on file in the Fire Station for public inspection during office hours.

(Neb. RS 17-147, 17-718, 17-953; 1999 Code, § 3-501)

The Fire Chief shall manage the Fire Department and it shall be his or her duty to inform the governing body when any of the fire engines, hose, ladders or other apparatus needs repair. Upon the written consent and directive of the governing body, the Fire Chief shall cause the repair, improvement or maintenance of the said equipment, and shall personally supervise and approve of the same. It shall be the duty of the Fire Chief to come before the governing body at the regular meeting in January of each year to give an annual report to the governing body of the general condition and the proposed additions or improvements recommended by him or her.

(1999 Code, § 3-502)

(A)  The Fire Department shall consist of so many members as may be decided by the City Council. The members may organize themselves in any way they may decide, subject to the review of the City Council.

(B)  The volunteer Fire Department shall not have upon its rolls at one time more than 25 persons, for each engine and hose company in the Fire Department, and no hook and ladder company shall have upon its rolls at any one time more than 25 members. No organization shall be deemed to be a bona fide fire or hook and ladder company until it has procured for active service apparatus for the extinguishment or prevention of fires, in case of a hose company, to the value of $700, and of a hook and ladder company to the value of $500.

(Neb. RS 33-139.01, 35-101 through 35-103, 35-108; 1999 Code, § 3-503; Ord. 883)

(A)  The Fire Chief shall keep or cause to be kept a record of all meetings of the Fire Department, the attendance record of all members, a record of all fires, and shall make a full report of such records to the Municipal Clerk during the last week in April each year.

(B)  The record of any fire shall include the cause, origin, circumstances, property involved, and whether criminal conduct may have been involved. In the event of sizable property damage, he or she shall include the information of whether such losses were covered by insurance, and if so, in what amount. All records shall be available to the public at any reasonable time.

(1999 Code, § 3-504)

It shall be the duty of the Fire Department to use all proper means for the extinguishment of fires; to protect property within the municipality; and to secure the observance of all ordinances, laws and other rules and regulations with respect to fires and fire prevention.

(1999 Code, § 3-505)

Upon the permission of the Fire Chief, such fire equipment of the municipality as may be designated by the governing body as rural equipment may be used beyond the corporate limits to extinguish reported fires.

(1999 Code, § 3-506)

The firefighters of the municipality shall be considered as acting in the performance and within the scope of their duties in fighting fire or saving property or life outside the corporate limits of the municipality when directed to do so by the Chief of the Fire Department or some person authorized to act for such Chief and, in so doing, may take such fire equipment of the municipality as may be designated by the governing body.

(1999 Code, § 3-507)

All fire hoses shall be pressure tested at least once each year.

(1999 Code, § 3-508)

The Municipal Fire Department shall hold Departmental fire drills at least once a month at such times as the members of the Fire Department shall decide.

(1999 Code, § 3-509)

It shall be the duty of the Fire Department to investigate or cause to be investigated, the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in the municipality in which property has been destroyed or damaged in excess of $50. All fires of unknown origin shall be reported, and such officers shall especially make an investigation and report as to whether such fire was the result of carelessness, accident or design. Such investigation shall be begun within two days of the occurrence of such fire and the State Fire Marshal shall have the right to supervise and direct the investigation whenever he or she deems it expedient or necessary. The officer making the investigation of fires occurring within the municipality shall immediately notify the State Fire Marshal and shall, within one week of the occurrence of the fire, furnish him or her with a written statement of all the facts relating to the cause and origin of the fire, and such further information as he or she may call for.

(Neb. RS 81-506; 1999 Code, § 3-510)