(1) The chief of the fire department in cities or urban-county governments, or an officer acting under his authority, shall be present at all fires and investigate their cause. He may examine witnesses, compel the production of testimony, administer oaths, make arrests, and enter any building for the purpose of examination that, in his opinion, is in danger from fires. He shall report his proceedings to the city legislative body when required.
(2) The chief shall direct and control the operations of the members of the fire department in the discharge of their duties. He shall have access to and use of all cisterns, fireplugs, the waters of the waterworks, and the cisterns of private persons, for the purpose of extinguishing fires. He shall have the right to examine all cisterns, and all plugs and pipes of the waterworks, to see that they are in condition for use in case of fire. He shall have control of all buildings, hose, engines, and other equipment provided for the fire department. He shall perform such other duties as the legislative body shall, by ordinance, prescribe.
(3) The fire department of each city listed on the registry pursuant to subsection (5) of this section or urban-county government shall be divided into three (3) platoons of firefighters. Each platoon, excluding the chief, the assistant chief, clerical employees, maintenance employees, fire inspectors, fire investigators, and arson investigators, in fire departments in the cities listed on the registry or in urban- county governments, shall be on duty for twenty-four (24) consecutive hours, after which the platoon serving twenty-four (24) hours shall be allowed to remain off duty for forty-eight (48) consecutive hours, except in cases of dire emergency. The chief of the fire department shall arrange the schedule of working hours to comply with the provisions of this section. The pay, rank, or benefits of the members and officers of the fire department shall not be reduced as a result of this subsection.
(4) In each city or urban-county government listed on the registry, all employees of the fire department shall be given not less than two (2) weeks leave of absence annually, with full pay.
(5) On or before January 1, 2015, the Department for Local Government shall create a registry of cities that shall be required to comply with the provisions of subsections (3) and (4) of this section. The Department for Local Government shall include each of those cities on the registry that were classified as cities of the second class on August 1, 2014. The Department for Local Government shall make the information included on the registry available to the public by publishing it on its Web site.
Effective: January 1, 2019
History: Amended 2018 Ky. Acts ch. 128, sec. 8, effective January 1, 2019. — Amended 2015 Ky. Acts ch. 115, sec. 1, effective June 24, 2015. — Amended 2014
Ky. Acts ch. 92, sec. 118, effective January 1, 2015. — Amended 2000 Ky. Acts ch.
177, sec. 1, effective July 14, 2000. — Amended 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 3, sec. 1. — Amended 1974 Ky. Acts ch. 248, sec. 13. — Amended 1962 Ky. Acts ch. 257, sec. 1.
— Amended 1946 Ky. Acts ch. 7, sec. 1. — Recodified 1942 Ky. Acts ch. 208, sec. 1, effective October 1, 1942, from Ky. Stat. secs. 3142, 3235dd-35.