Powers and duties during hazardous chemical or substance incident, fires; threat of fires or explosions; forest fires
20 V.S.A. § 2673
in effect2673. Powers and duties during hazardous chemical or substance incident, fires; threat of fires or explosions; forest fires
(a) The chief engineer, or in the chief’s absence, the assistant highest in rank present at a hazardous chemical or substance incident or fire, shall have charge of the fire apparatus and of the companies and persons attending the hazardous chemical or substance incident or fire for the purpose of containing, controlling, or extinguishing the same and may remove goods and effects out of a building or place endangered by the hazardous chemical or substance incident or fire. The chief engineer may cause to be pulled down or removed such buildings as the chief deems necessary to prevent the spread of hazardous material or fire and for such purposes may require the assistance of inhabitants of the district. During the hazardous chemical or substance incident or fire, the chief engineer may suppress tumults or disorders and direct the labor of inhabitants present in such fire district.
(b) Where an emergency situation exists in a municipality and there is no fire, but there is an imminent threat of a hazardous chemical or substance incident, fire, or explosion, the ranking member of the fire company responding will be in charge as long as the imminent threat continues. Where there is a threat of bombing, the fire department shall surrender responsibility to the police department having jurisdiction in the area.
(c) The ranking member of a fire department shall have authority to direct, control, and supervise traffic at the scene of a fire or other emergency to which a fire department has responded.
(d) [Repealed.]
(e) The chief of a fire district is designated as the town forest fire warden under 10 V.S.A chapter 83, subchapter 4 and shall have the authority and duties related to forest fires pursuant to that subchapter.
Amended 1961, No. 52, § 1; 1975, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. May 7, 1976; 1991, No. 29, § 1; 1993, No. 194 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. June 14, 1994; 2009, No. 135 (Adj. Sess.), § 26(8)(A); 2025, No. 162 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. July 1, 2026.
Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/20/171/02673Fetched: 10/21/2026