The Fire Department shall have the power and its duty shall be to perform the following functions:

(a) Fires. It shall extinguish fires at any place within the limits of the City and, upon the request of appropriate authorities and with the authorization of the Fire Commissioner, outside the limits of the City.

(b) Fire Hazards and Safety. The Department shall administer and enforce statutes, ordinances and regulations relating to fire and explosion hazards including those dealing with the manufacture, storage, sale, transportation or use of any substance or article which is or may be combustible, inflammable or explosive, the installation of any containers for such substances or articles, the installation and use of any equipment which presents a hazard of fire or explosion, and fire escapes, emergency exits, occupancies, fire alarm systems and fire extinguishing equipment in any vessel, vehicle, premises, grounds, structure, building or underground passage.

(c) Fire Prevention Programs. The Department shall institute and conduct programs of public education in fire prevention and safety.

(d) Maintenance of Firemen. The Department shall train, equip, maintain, supervise and discipline an adequate number of firemen.

(e) Fire Alarm System. The Department shall operate a fire alarm system either as a separate system or in conjunction with the police signal system of the Police Department.

ANNOTATION

Sources: Act of June 25, 1919, P.L. 581, Article V, Section 3, as amended.

Purposes: 1. Fire functions have been vested in a separate department for the reason, stated in the Annotation to Section 5-200.

2. The functions of the Fire Department are the functions normally vested in a fire department. Authorization is given for the Department to extinguish fires outside the City because at times conflagrations require the cooperation of fire fighting forces from adjoining municipalities.

3. The Fire Department has complete jurisdiction in administering and enforcing laws and regulations concerned with fire safety and prevention except that licensing functions are within the jurisdiction of the Department of Licenses and Inspections. See Article V, Chapter 10 and the Annotation to Section 5-300. Powers and duties of the Fire Marshal under prior law are transferred to the Fire Department. See Section A-101.

4. Fire prevention is stressed by authorizing the Department to conduct appropriate educational programs.

5. As to subsections (d) and (e), see the Annotation to Section 5-200.