AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR ORGANIZING AND REGULATING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF MARSHALL. BE IT ORDAINED by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Marshall as follows: Section 1 The Fire Department Board of the City shall consist of the Mayor and one member of the Board of Aldermen from each ward to be elected in the manner hereinafter provided and one Superintendent who shall be nominated and confirmed in the manner hereinafter provided. Section 2 At a regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen held on the first Monday in May of each year there shall be elected one member of said Board from each ward who together with the Mayor and Superintendent shall act as a Board of Fire Department for the ensuing year or until after their successor shall have been elected and qualified. Provided that if for any cause there shall be no meeting of the Board of Aldermen the first Monday in May then such Election shall be had at the next meeting thereafter. Section 3 The regularly Organized Fire Company of the City of Marshall shall annually in the Month of April, nominate a sober discreet and competent person to act as Superintendent of the Fire Department for the ensuing year but the person so nominated shall not enter upon the duties of hiss office until such nomination shall have been concurred in by the Board of Aldermen at the first meeting of said Board in the Month of May thereafter. Provided that if for any cause the said Fire Company shall fail to make such nomination then the Mayor and Aldermen who have been elected as members of the Board of Fire Department shall nominate and present to the Board of Aldermen the name of a suitable an competent person to act as Superintendent of the Fire Department. Section 4 The Board of Fire Department shall have control of all engines, engine houses, hose carriages, fire and life saving apparatus of every description and of all other property of whatsoever kind used in connection with or appertaining to the Fire Department and belonging to the City; and said Board of Fire Department shall make such rules and regulations for the government of the Fire Department and for the safe keeping and protection of the property under their control as in their judgment shall seem right and for the best interest of the City. Provided that such rules may be amended altered or repealed by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. Section 5 The Superintendent shall have command of the fire department and shall exercise a constant supervision of the same. He shall have general charge of all property of the City connected therewith and shall see that such property is always kept in good condition and repair and have ready for immediate uses. All disputes and controversies arising in violation to any matter connected with department among any of the companies officers or members when on duty shall be summarily decided by the Superintendent or in his absence from the place of difficulty, by the officer in command. He shall attend all fires in the City as far as practicable and all orders given by him to any company of firemen or members thereof shall be promptly obeyed by such company or member. He may order the removal of any building, erection or fence for the purpose of checking the progress of any fire and with the advise of the Mayor or two members of the Fire Department shall have power to blow up or cause to be blown up with powder or other substance any building or erection for the purpose of extinguishing or checking a fire. He may prescribe the limits in the vicinity of a fire within which no person except those who reside therein, members of the Fire Department and those admitted by order of an officer of said Fire Department shall be permitted and it shall be the duty of the Marshal and policemen to aid in carrying into effect the requirements of this section. He shall at all fires have the same police authority as is or may be vested in the City Marshal and may command such assistance from the inhabitants of the City of Marshall for the suppression and extinguishment of fires as may be required. Section 6 In the absence of the superintendent or in case of his inability to discharge the duties of his office the Board of Fire Department shall make a temporary appointment of Superintendent who shall perform all the duties of said office during the absence or inability of the regular Superintendent. Section 7 The Board of Fire Department when necessary shall appoint for each fire engine one competent mechanical engineer who shall operate and keep said engine in good condition and repair and generally do and perform such duties as may be assigned to him by the Board of Fire Department. Each engineer so appointed shall receive for his service the sum of Fifty Dollars per month.   Section 8 The engineer of any fire engine shall be at all times except when on duty in the immediate vicinity of the engine house and shall devote his entire time and attention to the duties of his office. He shall be a sober practical mechanic and mechanical engineer and shall take care that the engine and hose under his charge are always in order and ready for instant use and shall make all necessary repairs to the same. Section 9 On an alarm of fire the members of any organized Fire Company shall report themselves promptly to the engineer and shall under his direction proceed with the engine and hose to the fire and remain on duty so long as their services are required and until dismissed by the Officer in Command. Section 10 In addition to the duties heretofore prescribed each member of the Board of Fire Department shall acquaint himself with the place or places where supplies of water can be obtained in his ward for the extinguishment of fire therein and on alarm of fire he shall report himself to the Officer in Command and direct him to the nearest and most practicable place where water can be procured for that purpose. The Board of Fire Department shall also take care that all public cisterns are kept well supplied with water. Section 11 All purchases of fuel and other articles necessary for the use of the Fire Department shall be made by the Board of Fire Department who shall certify the same to the Board of Aldermen for payment. Section 12 Any officer of member of any Fire Company who shall be found in a state of intoxication at any fire or any such officer or member of a Fire Company who shall use or permit the use of intoxicating liquor in or about any engine house shall upon conviction be fined not less than five nor more than fifty dollars and thereafter shall be ineligible to be an Officer or member of any Fire Company. Section 13 Any person who shall in any manner willfully injure deface or destroy any engine or apparatus or other property belonging to the Fire Department shall for every such offense forfeit and pay to the City a penalty of not less than ten nor more than one hundred dollars and be liable to the Company or City owning the engine or apparatus or property so injured defaced or destroyed to the amount of such damages. Section 14 In order to prevent injury to the hose from passing vehicles when necessarily laid across any street or alley it shall be the duty of the mechanical engineer of any steam fire engine to provide timbers or some other contrivance to protect the same. Section 15 The driver of any vehicle who shall drive over any hose when necessarily laid across any street or alley except when the same is protected and covered as above provided shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall upon conviction thereof be fined not less than fire nor more than one hundred dollars. Section 16 Any person violating any provisions of this Ordinance for the violation of which no penalty is prescribed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not less than one nor more than one hundred dollars. Section 17 Except as otherwise provided no officer or employee of the Fire Department shall receive any compensation for his services provided that nothing herein shall be so construed as to prevent the Mayor and Board of Aldermen for making such reasonable allowance for services rendered at fires as in their judgment shall be right and proper. Section 18 The Fire Companies shall consist of not less than twenty nor more than thirty men for each fire engine including hose carriages but a greater number may be enrolled for instruction discipline and with a view of becoming members of a Fire Company whenever the Board of Fire Department shall determine that in the interest of the City such additional enrollment is necessary. Hook and Ladder Companies shall consist of not less than eight nor more than fifty members. Section 19 This Ordinance shall be in full force from and after its passage.   A true copy of the Original Ordinance as Passed by the Board of Aldermen July 14th, 1884   Signed C.E. Marshall, Clerk The above was transcribed from the original, handwritten Ordinance Book of the City of Marshall (Pages 136 thru 139)