The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 24: Municipal and County Government

Chapter 057: Fire Departments

• § 1951. Creation of department

  A town, city, or incorporated village shall have power to create, maintain, and operate a fire department as a department of the municipality, and for this purpose to purchase, acquire, hold, lease, or sell real property, equipment, and apparatus, and to appoint officers, firemen, and employees of the department. (Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. March 2, 1970.)

• § 1952. Eminent domain

  A town, city, or incorporated village may acquire real property for purposes of a fire house or fire station by exercise of the right of eminent domain in the manner and according to the procedure provided in sections 2805-2812 of this title for acquisition of land for a municipal building. (Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. March 2, 1970.)

• § 1953. Officers

  The officers of a fire department shall consist of a chief engineer, an assistant chief engineer, and fire captains in such number as the legislative body of the municipality shall determine. The duties and powers of the chief engineer shall be the same as those of the chief engineer of a fire district under 20 V.S.A. §§ 2671-2675. The legislative body may appoint and remove such officers, and fix their salaries or other compensation, subject to such rules and regulations as the legislative body may adopt. (Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. March 2, 1970.)

• § 1954. Firemen

  Firemen shall be appointed by the chief engineer, subject to such rules or regulations as the legislative body may adopt, and may be salaried employees or volunteers. A fireman may be dismissed or suspended by the chief engineer on written notice, but shall be entitled to a hearing on such dismissal or suspension before the legislative body of the municipality if a written request for a hearing is submitted to the legislative body by the fireman dismissed or suspended within five days after receipt of notice thereof. The legislative body may revoke such dismissal or suspension, and may order reinstatement of a fireman suspended or dismissed. (Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. March 2, 1970.)

• § 1955. Expenditures

  All expenditures for the creation, operation, and maintenance of a fire department under this chapter shall be paid from the general fund of the municipality unless other means are provided by the legislative body or the qualified voters. (Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. March 2, 1970.)

• § 1956. Personnel rules

  The officers, firemen, and employees of a fire department organized under this chapter may be governed by rules adopted by the legislative body of the municipality under subchapter 11 of chapter 33 of this title. (Added 1969, No. 170 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. March 2, 1970.)

• § 1957. Contracts with federal government

  A town, city, or incorporated village, by act of its legislative body, may contract with the U.S. government or any of its departments or agencies for the purpose of providing fire protection to federal property located within its limits. These contracts for fire protection may include all firefighting costs which are ordinarily associated with firefighting functions of a fire department. (Added 1977, No. 218 (Adj. Sess.), § 8.)