N.Y. Village Law § 10-1000: General powers of the board of fire commissioners

§ 10-1000 General powers of the board of fire commissioners. The board

of fire commissioners of a village, subject to the approval of the board

of trustees:

1. Has the care, custody and control of all village property of the

fire department.

2. May purchase such equipment as is suitable and necessary to prevent

and extinguish fires within the village, or for the purposes of any

emergency and first aid squad organized within the fire department, and

uniforms for all active members of the fire department and keep the same

in good condition and repair.

3. May erect and maintain suitable and necessary buildings for the

fire department.

4. May construct and maintain reservoirs and cisterns and supply them

with water for use at fires.

5. May adopt rules for the admission, suspension, removal and

discipline of the members, officers and employees of the fire

department, may prescribe their powers and duties, and fix their

compensation not inconsistent with section 10-1018 of this article.

6. May adopt rules and regulations governing fire companies and fire

departments, prescribing the duties of the members thereof, and may

enforce discipline and provide for public drills, parades, funerals,

inspections and reviews of the village fire department, or any company

or unit thereof, within the village or at other places within the state,

any adjoining state or in Canada. Such rules and regulations shall not

authorize any member of the board of fire commissioners to interfere

with the duties of the fire chief or the assistant fire chief at such

times as the fire department or any company or squad thereof is on duty.

7. May appoint persons other than members or officers of the

department to take charge of village property, and may fix their

compensation.

8. May employ duty or " persons on call," to serve on a part-time

basis when necessary, and fix their duties and compensation. Such

part-time paid firefighters in the event of injury shall be entitled to

the applicable benefits provided for such part-time paid firefighters

under section two hundred seven-a of the general municipal law and in

the event of injury or death shall be entitled to the applicable

benefits, if any, provided for such part-time paid firefighters under

the retirement and social security law and the workers' compensation

law. Persons who are volunteer members of the village fire department

may be employed as such part-time paid firefighters, but in the event of

injury, death, disease, or infection, resulting from services performed

in line of duty as such part-time paid firefighters they shall not be

entitled to any of the benefits provided for volunteer firefighters

under the volunteer firefighters' benefit law, or under any policy of

blanket accident insurance purchased by the village or purchased by the

fire department to cover only volunteer members of such department.

9. May inquire into the cause and origin of fires occurring in the

village and may take testimony in relation thereto.

11. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, a

village may include as part of its budget an appropriation to fund an

annual firefighters' inspection-dinner for each fire company within the

village.