Administration.

A. There is hereby designated the position of Fire Marshal to administer and enforce the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and this article as it relates to fire prevention, control and investigation within the Town of Webster. The Fire Marshal shall report to the Commissioner of Public Works or his/her division heads or agents or designees. The Fire Marshal shall be appointed from the appropriate civil service list.

[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

B. The Town Board may appoint such Deputy Fire Marshals or other employees of the Fire Marshal's Office as it deems necessary for proper administration and enforcement of this article. Deputy Fire Marshals shall be appointed on the basis of their technical qualifications and fire service experience. Deputy Fire Marshals shall report to and be directly responsible to the Fire Marshal.

C. The Chiefs of the various Fire Departments may detail such members of their Fire Departments as inspectors as shall from time to time be necessary in the opinion of the Fire Marshal and upon his request therefor.

D. The Office of the Fire Marshal shall investigate the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in the municipality which is of suspicious nature or which involves loss of life or injury to persons or by which property has been destroyed or substantially damaged. Such investigation shall commence immediately following extinguishment of such fire with the approval of the fire officer in charge, and, if it appears that such fire is of suspicious origin, the Chief of the Fire Department shall be immediately notified of the facts. The Office of the Fire Marshal shall preserve immediately any physical evidence and shall notify the proper authorities in the collection of evidence and the prosecution of the case. The foregoing shall be without prejudice to the right directly and to turn over the evidence gathered at the scene of the fire to such authorities.

E. Every structure fire shall be reported to the Office of the Fire Marshal after the occurrence of the same as soon as practicable by the fire officer in charge. Furthermore, the Office of the Fire Marshal shall be notified upon the occurrence of a working fire as soon as possible.

F. A report of the Office of the Fire Marshal shall be made monthly and annually and transmitted to the Village Board, Town Board, Fire Commissioner and Chiefs of each district of the Town. It shall contain all proceedings under this Code, with such statistics as the Fire Marshal may wish to include therein. The Fire Marshal shall also recommend amendments to the Code which, in his judgment, shall be desirable. Itemized reports of complaints shall be kept separate, Village from Town.

G. In addition to the foregoing duties, the Fire Marshal shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Town Board of the Town of Webster from time to time.