GENERALLY APPLICABLE LEGAL DUTIES AND UNLAWFUL ACTS (2-36-800 et seq.)

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 2, ch. 2-36, art. V

in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-36-800 Fires or emergencies - Hindering firefighting activities or equipment - Unlawful act.

2-36-800 Fires or emergencies - Hindering firefighting activities or equipment - Unlawful act. (a) No person shall willfully hinder any police officer or fireman in the performance of his duty at the scene of a fire or other emergency. (b) No person shall willfully in any manner injure, deface or destroy any fire engine, fire apparatus or other equipment or property of the fire department belonging to the city. (c) Any person who violates this section shall be fined not less than $500.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Added Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 2)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-36-810 Fires or emergencies - Authority to issue orders - Unlawful act.

2-36-810 Fires or emergencies - Authority to issue orders - Unlawful act. All persons in the vicinity of a fire or other emergency shall be subject to the orders of the fire commissioner, or uniformed service incident commander, or other member of the uniformed service in charge of removing property from such scene. It shall be unlawful for any person to disobey such an order. Provided, however, that no person who is not a member of the fire department shall be bound to obey any member of the fire department in charge at the scene of a fire or other emergency unless such member is wearing a badge or other insignia indicating his status as a member of the uniformed service or makes his status as a uniformed member known to the person charged with obeying such order. The fire commissioner or uniformed service incident commander shall have the power to arrest any person refusing to obey any lawful order issued in accordance with this section. Any person who refuses to obey such an order shall be fined not less than $1,000.00 nor more than $5,000.00, or imprisoned for a term not to exceed six months, or both, for each offense. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Added Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 2)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-36-820 Fires or emergencies - Authority to cordon areas - Unlawful act.

2-36-820 Fires or emergencies - Authority to cordon areas - Unlawful act. The fire commissioner or uniformed service incident commander may cordon the area in the vicinity of any firefighting operation, in order to prevent crashes or interference with the lawful efforts of the department to manage and control such fire or emergency, by placing ropes, barricades or other obstructions across any street, alley, place or private property in such vicinity. It shall be unlawful for any person to enter within any such cordoned area except with the permission of the fire commissioner or uniformed service incident commander. Any person who violates this section shall be fined not less than $1,000.00 nor more than $5,000.00, or imprisoned for a term not to exceed six months, or both, for each offense. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Added Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-17-21, p. 41319, Art. II, § 2)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-36-830 Fires or emergencies - Authority to issue badges for admission - Unlawful act.

2-36-830 Fires or emergencies - Authority to issue badges for admission - Unlawful act. (a) The fire commissioner may issue identification to members of the media and to employees of utility companies when the fire commissioner determines that the issuance of such identification is necessary or appropriate to prevent the destruction of property at the scene of a fire or other emergency or to protect the safety or welfare of the general public. The fire commissioner or uniformed service incident commander may, in his discretion, recall any identification so issued. (b) Any person who exhibits the identification issued under this section shall be admitted within any cordoned area established pursuant to Section 2-36-820. Provided, however, that possession of such identification shall not authorize the person holding such identification to enter a burning building except with the express permission of the fire commissioner or uniformed service incident commander. (c) The identification issued under this section shall be of distinctive character and different in form and appearance from the identification issued to members of the uniformed service. The fire commissioner shall maintain a register identifying the name and address of any person to whom such identification has been issued and containing any other information that the fire commissioner may reasonably require to identify such person. All expenses incident to the issuance of such identification shall be borne by the applicant for such identification. The identification issued under this section shall be returned to the fire commissioner by the person holding such identification when such person terminates his or her employment with the applicable media or utility company. (d) It shall be unlawful for any person who is not a member of the media or an employee of a utility company, or who is not otherwise lawfully in possession of any identification issued under this section, to: (1) wear, display or use such identification, or to cause such identification to be worn, displayed or used, at the scene of a fire or other emergency; or (2) fail to return such identification to the fire commissioner upon termination of employment with the applicable media or utility company or upon recall of such identification by the fire commissioner. (e) It shall be unlawful for any person to enter any burning building without first having obtained express permission to do so from the fire commissioner or from the uniformed service incident commander. Any person who violates this subsection (d) shall be fined not less than $500.00 nor more than $1,000.00 for each offense. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Added Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 2)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-36-840 Impersonating a fireman - Unlawful act.

2-36-840 Impersonating a fireman - Unlawful act. It shall be unlawful for any person who is not a member of the fire department, with the intent to defraud or deceive any other person, to impersonate a fireman or officer of the fire department or to falsely represent himself or herself to be a member of the fire department. In addition to any other penalty provided by law, any person who violates this section shall be subject to a fine of not less than $1,000.00 nor more than $1,500.00, or imprisonment for a period not to exceed six months, or both, for each offense. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Added Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 2)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 2-36-850 Recovery of property from fire - Unlawful act.

2-36-850 Recovery of property from fire - Unlawful act. No person shall be entitled to take any property that was saved from fire and is in the possession of the fire department until such person provides the fire commissioner with satisfactory proof of ownership thereof. (Added Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 2)

Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2598802Fetched: 10/24/2026