Sections:
2.40.01 Creation and Supervision
2.40.02 Members
2.40.03 Equipment
2.40.04 Fire Chief
2.40.05 Meetings and training
2.40.06 Rules, policies, and procedures
2.40.07 Fee
2.40.08 Non-Subscriber
2.40.09 Lien
2.40.10 Compensation
2.40.11 Reports
2.40.12 Membership dues
2.40.13 Fire expenses
2.40.14 Boundaries
2.40.15 Assistance
2.40.16 Local Police and Fire Retirement System (LOPFI)
2.40.17 Adoption by reference
2.40.18 Fire Marshal
2.40.01 Creation and supervision. There is hereby created a “Volunteer Fire Department” within and for the city of Mayflower Arkansas, to be supervised and operated by a committee composed of the Mayor and two members of the City Council. (Ord. No. 81-2, Sec. 1.)
2.40.02 Members. The term Volunteer Fire Department shall consist of those members of the community who shall offer his or her services of his or her own free will, for the purpose of organizing and maintaining a municipal department of the city, the primary purpose of which will be to fight fires and to prevent their occurrence. (Ord. No. 81-2, Sec. 2.)
2.40.03 Equipment. All equipment acquired in the name of the Volunteer Fire Department of the city of Mayflower, Arkansas, shall become the property of the city of Mayflower, Arkansas, unless otherwise provided. (Ord. No. 81-2, Sec. 3.)
2.40.04 Fire Chief. The Fire Chief shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. He shall be directly charged with the responsibility and accountability to the city for all equipment and shall exercise control and management of the organization. He shall name and select, with the approval of the Mayor and City Council, the members of the department, and shall direct and control all work of said department.
2.40.05 Meetings and training. There shall be held not less than two (2) meetings each month of the department for the purpose of instruction and training and all members shall attend unless excuses for reasonable cause (Ord. No. 120, Sec. 2.); the date and time of regular meetings will be set by the Fire Chief.
2.40.06 Rules, policies and procedures. The Volunteer Fire Department shall adopt such rules as may be deemed necessary for the proper function of the department, but all such, rules, bylaws, policies and/or standard operating procedures (SOP’s) shall be subject to the approval of the Mayor, the Fire Committee, and/or the City Council. The City Council shall promulgate such rules and regulations to govern the department as it shall deem expedient.
STATE LAW REFERENCE – See AC.A. 14-53-101
2.40.07 Fee. Those citizens and residents of Mayflower, Arkansas, who wish to become subscribers to the services provided by the Volunteer Fire Department shall become eligible for said services by paying to the City Dispatcher a fee of $35.00 per residences and $75.00 per business, per year. Upon receipt of the aforesaid fee, no further charges for services will be imposed upon a subscriber as may be imposed upon non-subscribers as hereinafter set forth. (Ord. No. 81-2, Sec. 4.)
2.40.08 Non-subscriber. Hereafter, any non-subscriber who receives the services of the Volunteer Fire Department in fighting a fire for the preservation, or attempt thereof, of that nonsubscriber’s property, then that non-subscriber shall be charged a fee of $300.00 for the services provided. The city of Mayflower, Arkansas, shall have a lien upon such property preserved for the collection of the fee. (Ord. No. 81-2, Sec. 5.)
2.40.09 Lien. The lien herein provided for shall be enforced at any time within eighteen (18) months after such services are provided, and may be enforced by proper action filed in the Chancery Court of Faulkner County, Arkansas. (Ord. No. 81-2, Sec. 6.)
2.40.10 Compensation. All selected and approved members of the Mayflower volunteer Fire Department shall receive the sum of Five Dollars ($5.00) for attendance and service at each fire and Two Dollars and Fifty Cents ($2.50) for responding to a medical emergency. Service is deemed to have been performed when the circumstances require the necessity of unloading and connecting fire hoses to the equipment or by providing medical assistance. The Fire Chief shall receive compensation of Ten Dollars ($10.00) and department officers shall receive Seven Dollars and Fifty Cents ($7.50) for attendance and service at each fire.
2.40.11 Reports. The Fire Chief shall keep, or cause to be kept, a record of the names of all members who attends regular meetings and who perform a service at each fire, and he shall submit a monthly report on the number of fires and department meetings attended by each member each month to the Mayor and the City Council (Ord. No. 120, Sec. 6.)
2.40.12 Membership. dues Membership dues are established as $35.00 per year per residence and $75.00 per year per business.
2.40.13 Fire expense. Any non-subscriber who receives the services of the volunteer Fire Department in fighting a fire of that non-subscriber’s property shall be charge, up to the maximum fee allowed under state statues, for services provided. The normal expenses for nonsubscribers include $300.00 for a house or grass fire; $300.00 for a business fire; and $300.00 for a vehicle fire.
STATE LAW REFERENCE – See A.C.A. 20-22-901
2.40.14 Boundaries. The boundaries of the Mayflower Volunteer Fire Department are defined as follows:
A. North Boundary: The north boundary shall extend to the southern city limits of the city of Conway, Arkansas.
B. South Boundary: The south boundary shall extend to the Faulkner/Pulaski County line at Palarm Creek.
C. East Boundary: The east boundary shall be the west shoreline of Lake Conway from the Conway city limits to the Lake Conway Dam. The area of Arkansas Highway 89 east to the Pierce Creek access road, a distance of five (5) miles.
D. West Boundary: The west boundary shall extend from Palarm Creek along the bank of the Arkansas River to Lollie Road. Thence east to the boundary of Round Mountain and the Mayflower city limits, north to the Conway city limits and bordering on the east boundary of Round Mountain. (Ord. No. 88-7, Sec. 1.)
2.40.15 Assistance. Assistance will be provided, when so requested, to the Conway Fire Department, the Pine Village Volunteer Fire Department and the Saltillo Volunteer Fire Department. (Ord. No. 88-7, Sec. 2.)
2.40.16 Local Police and Fire Retirement System (LOPFI). All eligible members of the Mayflower volunteer Fire Department shall receive LOPFI coverage. The city (employer) will make all LOPFI contributions. There are no employee contributions required for volunteer service.
2.40.17 Adoption by reference. All portions of Arkansas Code of 1987 Annotated, as contained in the current Handbook for Arkansas Municipal Officials, pertaining to volunteer fire department policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and personnel are adopted by reference and are made a part of this chapter as much so if they were reprinted in their entirety.
2.40.18 Fire Marshal: The position of Fire Marshal is hereby established within the Mayflower Fire Department. The Fire Marshal shall be nominated by the Fire Chief and confirmed by the City Council. (Ord. No. 2023-03, Sec. 1)
The Fire Marshal shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
- Fire Prevention: The Fire Marshal shall be responsible for the prevention of fires and the enforcement of all the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code and regulations within the fire district. The Fire Marshal shall also be responsible for conducting fire safety inspections and enforcing fire safety regulations in all buildings within the fire district.
- Fire Investigation: The Fire Marshal shall be responsible for investigating all fires within the fire district to determine the cause and origin of the fire. The Fire Marshal shall also be responsible for determining whether any violations of fire safety codes and regulations contributed to the cause of the fire.
- Public Education: The Fire Marshal shall be responsible for developing and implementing public education programs to promote fire safety within the City of Mayflower. The Fire Marshal shall also be responsible for providing training to City personnel in fire prevention and safety.
- Emergency Response: The Fire Marshal shall provide assistance to the Fire Chief and other emergency responders during fire and other emergency situations.
- Other Duties: The Fire Marshal shall be responsible for completion of other relevant duties as assigned by the City or the Fire Chief. (Ord. No. 2023-03, Sec. 2)
The Fire Marshal shall have the authority to:
- Enter and inspect all buildings as allowed for in the Arkansas Fire Prevention Code within the fire district to ensure compliance with fire safety codes and regulations.
- Order the correction of any violations of fire safety codes and regulations.
- Order the evacuation or temporary closure of any building that presents an imminent danger to the safety of its occupants.
- Order the cessation of any activity that presents an imminent danger of fire.
- Issue citations or make arrests as necessary. (Ord. No. 2023-03, Sec. 3)
