8.1 SR 04-01-2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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By way of contrast, the relief association is a separate entity that is subject to the open meeting law (as well as other laws and regulations, such as the data practices act) and makes decisions by vote of the board of directors. Certainly a fire department needs adequate communication among members and from the fire chief. If the chief wants to establish a regular meeting time and agenda, that's probably a good idea. If the chief wants to poll firefighters on their opinions about a particular issue, that's fine too. But these are management tools and techniques, not required bylaw provisions. Response and Scene Management Some bylaws include pretty specific scene management details, such as how many firefighters need to respond on which kind of truck, what the incident command structure should be at different types of fires, and what certain roles should be on- scene. These are, of course, very important considerations for adequate response to fires and good scene management, and critical decisions for firefighter safety. The appropriate place for these details is in the fire department standard operating procedures or guidelines (SOPS or SOGs) —not in fire department bylaws. What does this mean for fire department bylaws? Generally speaking, bylaws are the fundamental rules that define an organization, such as a non -profit entity. A city fire department is not a separate organization. Rather, it is a part or department of the city. The fire department therefore does not need its own bylaws. Bylaws may create confusion and establish unclear expectations about how the fire department is run or whether the fire department is a stand -alone agency. This does not mean that fire department policies currently contained in the bylaws are necessarily inappropriate. It may simply mean that some provisions are better placed somewhere else. The most important considerations are removing those bylaw provisions that are better placed within the city's HR policies, SOPS or SOGs. It's worth noting that if the city has a collective bargaining agreement in place for firefighters, some of these items may also be subject to contract language. It's probably true that when bylaw items have been removed and placed somewhere else, there won't be much left. Rachel Carlson, 1/11 0 Learn More Read more about city HR matters, including detailed information on minimum / maximum age requirements, response distance requirements, selection and election, job duties, codes of conduct, discipline, and more in: HR Reference Manual Your League Resource If you require additional help or have any questions about bylaws in city fire departments, you can contact a member of our research department or Rachel Carlson at 651 -281- 1200 or 800 - 925 -1122.