Browndale Fire
Co. No. 1
Organized and Chartered
1913
Building 1951
Revision of current by-laws
2001
Preamble
We, the members of the Browndale
Fire Co. No. 1, in adopting the following code of laws, pledge ourselves
to sustain our officers in there respective duties and hold ourselves bound
in law and honor to conform to and abide by these laws in every respect.
BROWNDALE FIRE CO. NO.
1
BY-LAWS
LET IT BE KNOWN BY ALL
PARTIES THAT ANY PLACE IN THE BY-LAWS, JOB DESCRIPTION OR MEETING GUIDELINES
THAT REFERS TO THE MALE GENDER, IT SHALL BE INTERPRETED
AS MEANING PERSONS OF
BOTH THE MALE AND FEMALE SEX.
ARTICLE I - Name, Object,
Members, Jurisdiction
Section 1: This Company
shall be known and designated as the Browndale Fire Company Number 1 of
the Village of Browndale in the Township of Clinton in Wayne County, Pennsylvania.
Section 2: The object
of this Company shall be the extinguishing of fires, the protection
of life and property and the promotion of fire prevention and fire safety.
Section 3: The Company
shall be comprised of Active, Life and Honorary Members.
Section 4: The jurisdiction
of the Company is the Township of Clinton. Territory covered is the
Borough of Forest City, Borough of Vandling, Village of Richmondale and
all of Clinton Township. The Company will also respond to mutual
aid calls where our assistance is requested.
ARTICLE II – Officers
Section 1: The elected
officers of the Company shall be a President; one (1) Vice-President; Secretary,
Treasurer, Rental Secretary, Sgt-at-Arms, three (3) Trustees; Relief Association
Secretary-Treasurer; a Fire Chief. All are elected for a term on
one (1) year except the Trustees, who shall be elected for a term of three
(3) years, but one is to be elected annually.
Section 2: The Fire
Chief shall appoint One (1) Assistant Chief from the members of the Company
who meet minimum requirements as listed in the job description appendix.
The Chief and Asst. Chief shall appoint one Chief of Safety & Training,
one Fire Marshal and one Chief Engineer from the members of the Company
who meet minimum requirements as listed in the job description appendix.
The Chief Engineer shall appoint one (1) Assistant Chief Engineer from
members of the Company who meet minimum requirements as listed in the job
description appendix. The Chief & Assistant Chief, with input
from Fire Marshall, Chief Engineer, and Chief of Safety and Training shall
appoint one Captain from the members of the Company who meet minimum requirements
as listing in the job description appendix. The same selection process
shall take place for the positions of Lieutenant and Sergeant.
Section 3: No member
shall be eligible for any office unless he meets the minimum requirements
of that office, and is an active member for at least one year. Minimum
requirements are found in the job description appendix.
ARTICLE III - Election
of Officers
Section 1; The officers
shall be nominated at the November meeting of each year and be elected
on the second Tuesday of December of each year. The newly elected
officers shall be installed on the second Tuesday of January of each year,
and shall hold office for one year or until their successors are elected
and qualified, with the exception of the Trustees, who shall be elected
to hold office for three (3) years as here-to-fore provided.
Section 2: No nomination
for any office shall be received on the night of election, unless all the
candidates for said office decline.
Section 3: If a vacancy
should occur among the officers between the time of the annual elections,
such offices shall be filled by the office's assistant's; by ballot if
no assistants are available; or as the Company sees necessary.
Section 4: The president
shall appoint two (2) tellers to count the ballots. The sergeant-at-arms
is to maintain order as may be needed during the voting and ballot counting.
Section 5: No write-in
vote on the official ballot will be cast, unless there is no candidate
for that particular office.
ARTICLE IV - Officers'
Duties and Responsibilities
Section 1: The duties
of the Officers and minimum requirements for said offices are listed in
the job description appendix.
Section 2: The Trustees
will be responsible for the job description for the following offices:
President, Vice-President, Secretary, Rental Secretary, Treasurer, Trustees,
and Sgt-at-Arms.
Section 3: The Fire
Chief will be responsible for the job descriptions for the Assistant Chief
& all remaining line officers.
Section 4: Any officer
of this Company shall resign his office when he has failed to perform his
duties or whenever requested to do so by two-thirds of the active memberspresent
at any regular meeting. The final resignation shall be upon the Trustees
final approval.
ARTICLE V - Apparatus
Section 1: Any member(s)
tampering with the apparatus, or instruments or damaging the furniture,
fixtures or other property of the Company, shall be fined, for the first
offense, twenty-five dollars ($25.00); and for the second offense, expelled
from the Company. Any member apprehended who willfully destroys or
steals, or attempts to do so, the property of the Company, will be expelled
from the Company immediately, and also prosecuted for the damages.
Non-members loafing around the fire station or tampering with the apparatus
or otherwise trespassing upon the Company property shall be and fined according
to the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Non-members visiting
the fire station, are to be accompanied at all times by a member who is
in good standing.
Section 2: No apparatus
shall leave town to participate in any dress parade, celebration, or training
exercise without permission of the Company, or it's line officers, if needed
between sessions. The apparatus responding to an out of town fire
call will respond according to the box assignment or by a specific request
for our Company.
ARTICLE VI - Membership
Application and Qualification
Section 1: No person
shall be elected a member of the Company unless he be at least fourteen
(14) years of age and a citizen of the United States of America.
Section 2: The candidate
shall complete an official application for membership. Application
will be accompanied by the amount of admission fee. ($3.00)
Section 3: Applications
for membership will be thoroughly reviewed by the Trustees. Application
must by approved by a majority of the Trustees prior to presentation to
the membership for election. The membership will then vote
on the application and a candidate will not be elected a member unless
two-thirds of the members present vote for his election. In
case of rejection, the money accompanying the application will be refunded
Section 4: The admission
fee for membership shall be three dollars ($3.00).
Section 5: New members
will serve a probationary period of not less than six months.
During this probationary period, he will be required to complete the probationary
training program as prescribed by the Company.
Section 6: Upon completion
of the probationary period, the probationary member's performance will
be evaluated by the Chief and his officers and by the Trustees. Upon
ecommendation of the line officers and the Trustees, the probationary member
must be approved for regular membership by a majority vote of the members
present at a regular meeting.
Section 7: Ages 14-18 will
be termed Junior members with ages 14-16 falling into the Cadet Training
Program category. Applicants 16 to 18 years of age will fall into
the Junior Member Training Program. Both training and probation guidelines
will respect the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Child Labor Law.
ARTICLE VII - Duties
of the Members
Section 1: It
shall be the duty of each member of this Company to strictly obey the Company's
By-Laws, Resolutions, and Standard Operating Procedures. The first
member arriving at the fire station after an alarm of fire, except for
the driver, shall assume command of the Company and shall retain same until
the arrival of a line officer. While having such command, his orders
shall be the same in force and effect as that of the Chief and/or his assistants.
The officer-in-charge shall follow all Company Standard Operating Procedures,
wherever practical.
Section 2: Each member
shall pay dues of three ($3.00) per year. Dues must be paid by the
March meeting of each year or the member will be dropped from the rolls.
The Secretary will notify those who have not paid their dues by the February
meeting that their dues are in arrears.
Section 3: It shall
be the duty of each member of the Company noticing or detecting any defects
in any of the Company's equipment to immediately report same to the
appropriate individuals.
A. Defects of portable
fire fighting equipment shall be reported to the Fire Chief.
B. Defects of mobile
equipment shall be reported to the Chief Engineer.
C. Defects in all other
property shall be reported to any of the Trustees.
D. In case no action is
take by the Chief or the Chief Engineer, same must be reported to
the Trustees.
E. No complaints will be
entertained by the Trustees unless first taken up with the Chief or Chief
Engineer.
Section 4: Any member
or group of members of the Browndale Fire Co. attending a meeting of any
of the Fire Associations, attending drills, demonstrations or anything
pertaining to fire activities, in and outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
are doing so for the betterment of the fire service of the Browndale
Fire Company and the Township of Clinton, Wayne County. The
are doing so as representatives of this Company and have the expressed
permission of said Company to act in this capacity.
Section 5: Members
may borrow equipment belonging to the Company for personal use upon contacting
and receiving permission from the rental secretary or the Fire Chief.
They must sign for this equipment in the log book provided for this purpose.
Section 6: It is particularly
enjoined that all members of this Company shall treat each other,
during its meetings, with true delicacy and respect, and that all un-generous
remarks, personal allusion, or sarcastic language must be carefully avoided
that the feeling of any member may not be wounded and the most prominent
point of our design frustrated or interrupted; and that all proceedings
be conducted in that spirit of candor and good fellowship with each other.
ARTICLE VIII - Life Members
Section 1: The Company
may at any meeting elect Life Members. Candidates for Life Membership
must have twenty-five (25) years of consecutive active service. Life
membership may also be conferred upon any person qualified for membership
who has rendered distinctive services or to its purposes.
Section 2: All Life
Members must be elected by a majority vote of the members present at a
regular meeting upon having been recommended for Life Membership by the
Board of Trustees.
Section 3: A Life
Member shall be required to pay dues until age sixty-five (65). Upon
reaching age sixty-five, he shall be exempt from payment of dues.
Section 4: Active
military duty constitutes active Fire Company service.
ARTICLE IX - Honorary
Members
Section 1: The Company
may at any meeting elect Honorary Members, who shall pay no admission
fee, assessments or fines. They shall have no vote in meetings, shall
not be entitled to any claims whatsoever on the monies or property
of the Company and all such members may be resigned from the Company at
the will of the Company.
Section 2: All Honorary
Members must be elected by a majority vote of the members present at a
regular meeting upon having been recommended for Honorary membership by
the Board of Trustees.
Section 3: Honorary
Members will not be entitled to hold office in the Company.
ARTICLE X - Impeachment
Section 1: Any officer
of this Company, or member of a standing committee, who shall abuse the
authority vested in him, or duties imposed, may have charges brought against
him by any member in good standing. These charges must be presented,
in writing, and must be brought before a meeting of the Board of Trustees,
who will determine there validity. Any charges found to be valid will be
presented by the Trustees to the Company membership at a regular meeting.
Such charges will not be considered or acted upon by the Company until
the next regular meeting after the charges are presented to the Company
membership. The person or persons accused shall be served with a
copy of such charges at least twenty (20) days previous to such meeting
and be given an opportunity to be heard in defense at such subsequent twenty
(20) days previous to such meeting and be given an opportunity to be heard
in defense at such subsequent meeting. The Company will then vote
by secret ballot and two-thirds vote against the member or members so charged
will constitute impeachment.
ARTICLE XI - Disciplinary
Action
Section 1: Any charges
or accusations brought by any officer or member against another member
and charging offense subject to fine, suspension or expulsion shall be
made in writing, signed by one or more members preferring charges and presented
to the Board of Trustees. Accused shall also be presented with a
copy of the charges in writing.
Section 2: The Board
of Trustees shall review the charges and, if deemed necessary, shall recommend
that the President appoint a three (3) member hearing board.
Section 3: The hearing
board will initiate an investigation with five (5) days of appointment
and within twenty (20) days furnish a written report of said investigation
to the Board of Trustees.
Section 4: The Board
of Trustees shall review the findings of the hearing board and recommend
appropriate action at the subsequent Company hearing.
Section 5: Any disciplinary
action shall be controlled and governed by the seriousness of the offense.
For a first offense, it shall include, but not be limited to, a written
reprimand. It can include a fine or a suspension not to exceed three
(3) months. For a serious offense or a second offense of the same
nature, the member may be expelled by a two-thirds vote of the Company.
Section 6: A member,
under suspension, will be required to pay dues or assessments during the
period of suspension. He must immediately surrounded all Company
property, and shall not respond to any emergency calls and may not participate
in any non-emergency activities. If such a member refuses to recognize
his suspension, he shall be expelled without a vote.
Section 7: All fines
and assessments must be paid by the next regular meeting of the Company
after the imposition of the fine. Failure to do so will result
in the expulsion of the member from the Company.
Section 8: Any member
resigned for non-payment of fines, etc., can be reinstated by making application
within fifteen (15) days and paying assessments he would have paid had
he continued as a member in good standing.
ARTICLE XII - Conduct
Section 1: It shall
be the duty of all members of the Company to maintain the good reputation
and image of said Company at all times. Any member(s) charged with
an offense which shall reflect on the good reputation and image of the
Company and causing said good reputation and image to be defamed, diminished
or tarnished shall be immediately suspended form the membership and
upon conviction of such offense, immediately expelled from the Company
without a vote. Any member(s) so suspended shall immediately turn
over to the Board of Trustees all property belonging to the company and
shall not respond to any emergency calls or participate in any other Company
functions.
Section 2: Any member
of the Company under the age of twenty-one shall not purchase and
or consume alcoholic beverages on any property belonging to the Company
or any property leased and or rented by the Company for the conduction
of it's affairs. It shall be the duty of any member(s) observing
any member(s) under the age of twenty-one (21) consuming and or purchasing
alcoholic beverages on property belonging to and or leased by the Company
to report said observances, in writing, noting date, time and any other
circumstances, to the Board of Trustees for action. Failure to do
so, shall subject the observing member(s) to the same disciplinary acting
as the offending member(s). Disciplinary action for the first
offense shall include, but not be limited to, sixty (60) days suspension;
for the second offense - expulsion.
ARTICLE XIII - Meetings
Section 1: The annual
meeting of the Company shall be held on the second Tuesday in January
at 7:30 P.M.
Section 2: The regular
monthly meeting of this Company shall be held on the second Tuesday of
each month at 7:30 P.M. and not later that 10:00 P.M. Any change
of the meeting date, due to holiday, etc., shall be approved by the membership
at the previous month's regular meeting.
Section 3: A special
meeting may be held at any time, provided notice shall be posted at least
forty-eight (48) hours in advance.
Section 4: Seven (7)
members constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at a regular
or special meeting. Any expenditure in excess of 1000.00 will have
to be voted on by membership present and considered valid if agreed upon
by a majority of those present.
Section 5: The first
roll call shall be at 7:30 P.M., and if a quorum be present they shall,
in the absence of the President and the Vice-President, the Fire Chief
shall chair the meeting and proceed with business. President and the Vice-President,
the Fire Chief shall chair the meeting and proceed with business.
Section 6: The chairman
shall preserve order and decorum, decide all questions of order subject
to an appeal of the Company.
Section 7: In case
of an alarm of fire during the meeting, the meeting shall stand adjourned
until the Company has returned to the fire station, or call of the President.
Section 8: The regular
monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held the second
Tuesday of each month starting at 7:00 P.M. The Chairman of the Board
of Trustees may call a special meeting of the Board at any time upon
notice of three members of the Board of Trustees.
ARTICLE XIV - Uniforms
Section 1: The Company
will, upon receipt of twenty-five dollars (25.00) deposit, furnish each
member a uniform which will comply with the uniform adopted by the Company.
ARTICLE XV - Amendments
Section 1: Any amendment
of these By-Laws submitted for consideration must be made in writing and
after being read, will lay over for thirty (30) days for the adoption.
It then shall be decided by a majority of the votes of the members present
Section 2: All questions
of parliamentary law not herein provided for shall be determined in accordance
with Robert's Rules of Order.
ARTICLE XVI
All By-Laws here-to-fore
existing the Company other than the foregoing and its Appendix are hereby
repealed. A committee will be appointed every three (3) years to review
the By-Laws for additions, deletions and/or corrections.
GENDER STATEMENT VOTED
ON AND APPROVED AT SPECIAL EMERGENCY MEETING SUNDAY FEB. 04, 1990.
DAVE RICHARDS Jr.
TRUSTEE
JIM RICHARDS PRES.
JOHN PEVEC
TRUSTEE
EARL OBELENUS CHIEF
DAVE RICHARDS Sr.
TRUSTEE
Article VI, Section 7 Voted
upon and passed at monthly meeting 1/13/98.
Amendment and Resolution
to Browndale Fire Co. By-Laws, passed by unanimous vote on May 08, 2001,
that all properties and possessions of the Browndale Fire Company, upon
it’s dissolution, be transferred in ownership to the Clinton Township Board
of Supervisors to be used for the extinguishing of fires, the protection
of life and property and the promotion of fire prevention and fire safety
in Clinton Township, Wayne County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Amendment to the amendment
and Resolution of 5/8/2001:
Let it be known to all
parties concerned that on August 14, 2001, The Browndale Fire Company No.
1, passed by unanimous vote to amend and correct or bylaws to reflect the
requests of the IRS for the application of the 501C3 status. A copy of
the Agreement to amend is formally attached to our by laws.
Witnessed & signed:
Joseph Debevec Jr. President
Vincent Wojcik, Secretary
Robert Richards, Trustee
NOTE: This set denotes changes
as result of finding an error in the Trustee number of years section. 09/11/02
(DR)
