IN GENERAL

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code tit. I, ch. 252, art. I

in effect

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 252-101 Definitions.

Sec. 252-101. - Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section. Chief or chief of fire means the chief executive officer of the Indianapolis Fire Department appointed pursuant to this article. Civilian fire merit board or merit board means the Indianapolis Fire Department Merit Board created pursuant to this chapter. Department means the Indianapolis Fire Department. Fire special service district means the special service district created pursuant to IC 36-3-1-6 and section 111-3 of the Code. Member or firefighter means a regularly employed firefighter of the Indianapolis fire department. Merit rank means all promotions to the rank of lieutenant, captain, and battalion chief made in accordance with the Indianapolis fire department's merit system. Non-suppression division means all firefighters assigned to work an average of one hundred and twenty (120) hours in a twenty-one-day work period at various Indianapolis fire department worksites other than fire stations. Suppression division means all department firefighters assigned to work one hundred and forty-four (144) hours in a twenty-one-day work period. (Code 1975, App. A, Pt. IV, § 1; G.O. 71, 2006, § 20; G.O 104, 2009, § 1; G.O. 13, 2016, § 26; G.O. 33, 2021, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 252-102 Indianapolis Fire Department; jurisdiction, powers, and duties.

Sec. 252-102. - Indianapolis Fire Department; jurisdiction, powers, and duties. (a) The Indianapolis Fire Department shall have the authority and jurisdiction throughout the fire special service district and such other territory where the department provides fire protection services as provided by law. (b) It shall be the duty of the Indianapolis Fire Department to suppress all fires that occur in the fire special service district and such other territory, to prevent the occurrence and spread of such fires, to provide emergency medical services and rescue operations, and to investigate fires. (c) The department shall have all powers prescribed in chapter 591 of this Code and all other powers necessary to fulfill these duties and any other powers granted by law, the city-county council or the mayor. (Code 1975, App. A, Pt. IV, § 3; G.O. 71, 2006, § 20; G.O. 104, 2009, § 1; G.O. 13, 2016, § 26; G.O. 33, 2021, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 252-103 Appointment and qualifications of chief; powers and duties.

Sec. 252-103. - Appointment and qualifications of chief; powers and duties. (a) The mayor shall appoint a chief of the Indianapolis Fire Department subject to city-county council confirmation who serves at the pleasure of the mayor and reports directly to the mayor. (b) The chief may be selected from members of the department who hold the permanent merit rank of captain or above on the basis of prior training and experience, and shall have a minimum of fourteen (14) years of service with the department, which time period shall include a person's service as a full-time, paid member of any fire department. (c) The chief may be selected from past members of the department or from members or past members of a fire department other than the department only if he or she has: (1) Met the following educational requirements: a. A bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited institution of higher education in fire science, management, public administration or a related field; or; b. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a non-related field: and i. An associate's degree in fire science; or ii. An executive fire officer designation from the National Fire Academy or its successor institution; or iii. A chief fire officer designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence or its successor; (2) Attained fire officer I, II, and III certification; (3) At least fourteen (14) years of experience in a fire department of a city with a population of one hundred thousand (100,000) or more in Indiana, another state, or the District of Columbia; and (4) Achieved the merit rank of captain (or its equivalent) or above. (d) The chief may appoint any number of executive assistants, who shall hold the temporary rank and title of assistant chief, deputy chief, division chief or shift commander as the chief deems necessary to efficiently discharge the chief's executive duties. The chief shall select these executive assistants from among those holding the permanent merit rank of captain or above in the department. The appointed ranks of assistant chief, deputy chief, division chief and shift commander shall be temporary, and each executive assistant shall retain their permanent merit rank, unless promoted in accordance with the merit system. The chief may temporarily appoint and assign members of the department to lieutenant, captain, or battalion chief in the non-suppression division, and such member's pay grade shall be commensurate with the duties and qualifications required of the member. Such assignment shall have no effect on the merit rank of the member. The chief shall have general authority over all matters, personnel, and property relating to and connected with the department, unless otherwise restricted by law. This authority includes the following powers and duties: (1) To organize the department and determine and implement policies, methods and means by which operations are conducted; (2) Oversee the daily operation of the department; (3) Execute contracts on behalf of the department subject to the powers of the mayor, the board of the office of public health and safety, and any limitations prescribed by law; (4) Make general and special rules and regulations for the government and discipline of the department, to the extent such duties and powers are not granted to the merit board; (5) To administer and oversee the department's fire merit system with the mayor as provided by this code, relating to appointment, transfer, discipline and removal of members of the department pursuant to applicable rules, regulations and laws in accordance with an established merit system; (6) To enter into contracts with town or township firefighting companies or associations for mutual civil aid and assistance programs, life-saving, firefighting, emergency services, ambulance services, mutual communications services, coordinating training programs, or central dispatching programs in accordance with applicable law; (7) To purchase, rent or improve any real estate or personal property, subject to appropriations therefor by the city-county council and subject to the powers of the mayor and the board of public health and safety; (8) To purchase or obtain necessary supplies, equipment, and services; subject to the authority of the board of the office of public safety and purchasing laws; (9) In conjunction with the mayor, to fix the number of employees, members and reservists of the department; (10) To temporarily appoint additional personnel on application of any person or corporation in response to any emergency, riot or insurrection as declared by the mayor, which persons the director may remove at any time without hearing or notice or assigning any cause; (11) To delegate to the personnel employed in the department authority to act in the chief's behalf as provided in IC 36-3-5-5(c); and (12) Any other powers that may be granted by law or by the mayor. (Code 1975, § 3-331; G.O. 2, 2000, § 2; G.O. 24, 2008, § 1; G.O. 51, 2008, § 1; G.O. 104, 2009, § 1; G.O. 13, 2016, § 26; G.O. 33, 2021, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 252-104 Budget.

Sec. 252-104. - Budget. The chief shall prepare and submit an annual budget to the fire special service district council that shall approve or modify said budget. The fire special service district council shall appropriate funds to finance the operations and activities of the Indianapolis Fire Department provided for in this article. These appropriated funds shall be deposited with the consolidated city controller in an account known as the "Indianapolis Fire Department account." The chief shall have authority to expend, under regular consolidated city procedure in accordance with applicable law, all sums appropriated to such account for the purposes, activities and services contemplated by this chapter. At the end of each fiscal year, any unexpended portion of such account shall revert to the fire special service district general fund. (Code 1975, App. A, Pt. IV, § 4; G.O. 104, 2009, § 1; G.O. 13, 2016, § 26; G.O. 33, 2021, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 252-105 Reserved.

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 252-106 Personnel division.

Sec. 252-106. - Personnel division. (a) There is hereby created a personnel division as a part of the Indianapolis Fire Department, which shall be supervised by a deputy chief appointed by the chief of fire. (b) Subject to applicable law, and with approval of the civilian fire merit board and chief, the deputy chief supervising the personnel division shall be responsible for the development and implementation of personnel management programs within the department. These personnel management programs shall be: merit systems relating to member recruitment; applicant screening, testing and selection; job auditing; hiring; performance evaluation; transfer; promotion; separation; reemployment career development; discipline; relations; grievance procedures; and, personnel records management. (Code 1975, App. A, Pt. IV, § 6; G.O. 104, 2009, § 1; G.O. 33, 2021, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 252-107 Civilian employees.

Sec. 252-107. - Civilian employees. The chief, through the personnel division, shall hire civilian employees and shall make maximum use of civilian employees in positions in the department not requiring firefighters. (Code 1975, App. A, Pt. IV, § 7; G.O. 104, 2009, § 1; G.O. 33, 2021, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 252-108 Life and liability insurance.

Sec. 252-108. - Life and liability insurance. The chief shall recommend to the corporation counsel and the office of finance and management appropriate group life and disability insurance coverage to cover all members of the Indianapolis fire department. Such insurance coverage may be purchased and maintained in reasonable amounts and shall cover only firefighters killed or disabled in the line of duty. The chief shall recommend to the corporation counsel and the office of finance and management appropriate insurance to indemnify members of the department against liability for injuries or damages to persons or property resulting from alleged acts of negligence, wrongful acts or omission of such members while acting within the scope of their authority and employment. (Code 1975, App. A, Pt. IV, § 8; G.O. 73, 2005, § 20; G.O. 71, 2008, § 13; G.O. 104, 2009, § 1; G.O. 13, 2016, § 28; G.O. 33, 2021, § 1)

Indianapolis-Marion County Revised Code § 252-109 Fire protection outside the fire special service district.

Sec. 252-109. - Fire protection outside the fire special service district. The Indianapolis Fire Department may provide fire protection or services outside the boundaries of the fire special service district, only under the following circumstances and upon the following conditions: (1) The chief or the mayor may enter into any contract or mutual agreement or understanding with the ranking fire officer of any existing municipal or volunteer fire department or with the chief executive officer of any unit of government that maintains or finances an established fire department, wherein the agreement provides for the mutual assistance between the department and the other fire department such that the ranking officers of the respective fire departments may request, when necessary, the assistance without charge to the assisted department. The department is authorized to render such assistance as is requested by the ranking officer on duty with the respective department so long as the rendering of such assistance shall not endanger the citizens of the fire special service district or threaten the ability of the department to render services within the fire special service district. (2) The department, upon approval of the mayor, may enter into a contract with any person, municipality, or other governmental unit that is situated at a place not within the fire special service district but within the county and that is desirous of contracting with the city for regular fire protection involving the use and services of the Indianapolis fire department. The details of such contract shall be specified by the department, but each contract must provide that the city furnish on a calendar-year basis so much firefighting service and apparatus as may be reasonably necessary on the request of the contracting person, municipality or other governmental unit when a fire exists at the premises of such person or within the boundaries of the municipality or governmental unit, but that obligation to render such services shall not exist at any time that the same would endanger or threaten the services of the Indianapolis fire department to the citizens of the fire special service district. The contract shall also provide for a negotiated rate or fees payable as required by the department for the rendering of such services and may provide for additional charges based on the actual services and apparatus used in the performance of such agreement. (3) Upon consolidation of a township fire department into the Indianapolis fire department pursuant to IC 36-3-1-6.1, the department shall provide fire protection or services in the territory where such services were formerly provided by the township fire department. (G.O. 43, 2002, § 3; G.O. 71, 2006, § 21; G.O. 104, 2009, § 1; G.O. 13, 2016, § 28; G.O. 33, 2021, § 1)

Source: Consolidated City of Indianapolis and Marion County, Revised Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIORAD_CH252INFIDE_ARTIINGEFetched: 10/27/2026