Constitution and Bylaws
Article I
Section 1 Name:
The name of the department will be: Ponder Volunteer Fire
Department Incorporated.
Section 2 Mission Statement:
The Ponder Volunteer Fire Department Incorporated, a
charitable and non-profit organization, exists to provide a professional level
of fire safety, life safety, and first responder emergency medical services to
the people and property within the Ponder Volunteer Fire Department response
area, to prevent or minimize pain, suffering, or loss of life, and property.
This will be accomplished through the utilization of our
members with aggressive training and modern equipment and a mutual aid
cooperative agreement with neighboring departments in order to provide the
highest quality of service and a commitment toward excellence.
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Article II
Section 1 Membership Minimum Qualifications:
A. Must live within the PVFD district.
B. Be at least 18 years of age (must be 21 years of age to drive apparatus).
C. Valid Texas driver’s license. (minimum class B exempt within one (1) year of
membership)
D. Pass background check.
E. Willingness to attend business meetings and training sessions.
Section 2 Application:
Upon presentation of application of such desires for membership to the
department Chief, the Chief shall present the application to the executive board
at the next business meeting for screening and investigation purposes of the
applicant’s possibilities of making a good member of the PVFD.
The executive board shall report to the department at the following business
meeting. If the report is favorable, the applicant shall be voted on by majority
vote of the members. If the vote is favorable the applicant will be accepted as
a probationary member. The applicant will be required to attend all meetings
after application has been presented to the chief until voted on.
Each applicant shall be given a copy of the by-laws and constitution and shall
be required to read it before membership.
Section 3: Types of Membership
1. Probationary member- shall be an individual on department probation for a
period of one (1) year. Probationary members shall be required to complete
training and demonstrate competent knowledge and use as required below within:
Six (6) months of application:
A. Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA).
B. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
C. Tool and equipment locations.
D. Emergency medical equipment and locations.
E. Rescue tool operation and location.
One (1) year:
A. Pumping of Engine, Tankers, and Brush trucks.
B. Successfully complete a PVFD approved emergency driving course.
C. Shall have a Class B exempt driver’s license minimum.
All skills check off’s will be given by the Training officer. Any skills failed
will be brought to the executive board for review and/or disciplinary actions up
to and including removal from the PVFD.
A probationary member shall not be allowed to engage in interior structure fire
operations or any immediate danger to life and health (IDLH) environment(s)
unless cleared to do so by the Chief or training officer of the PVFD.
Probationary members shall be entitled to the floor on all occasions, but will
not be entitled to vote.
2. Active member- Shall be an individual that has meet all the requirements of a
probationary member and is cleared by the Chief or Training officer of the PVFD
to engage in all aspects of emergency operations. It is preferred that an active
member achieve a minimum of a Certified First Responder status within two (2)
years after application.
3. Honorary member – for service and aid to PVFD, honorary members may be
elected to the PVFD by majority vote. An honorary member shall be entitled to
the floor on all occasions, but will not be entitled to vote. Honorary members
may hold office of secretary or treasurer. Honorary members may participate in
any non emergency PVFD function.
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Article III
Section 1: Officers
The PVFD Officers will consist of and the chain of command will be:
1 Chief
2. Assistant Chief
3. Captain
4. Lieutenant Fire
5. Lieutenant EMS
6. Training Officer
7. Secretary
8. Treasurer
All members are responsible to follow the chain of command. No orders shall come
from any other source outside the PVFD, except through the Officer in charge or
another fire department. Rank of other fire departments on scene will be
honored.
Note: The Secretary and Treasurer do not have any authority at emergency
operations or training.
Section 2: Executive Board
The Executive Board shall consist of all the Officers. The Board shall meet
before each business meeting. The Board is responsible for any attendance or
discipline issues. The Board shall set Standard Operating Guidelines (SOG). Any
member has the right to request a meeting with the executive board at any time.
The Executive Board has the power to combine, add or eliminate officer’s titles
and duties as deemed necessary.
Section 3: Elections
The elections shall be held the first meeting in October with newly elected
Officers taking office the first day of November. All nominations of a qualified
member shall be made from the floor. All officers shall be voted on by secret
ballot and counted by the Chief. All voting shall be won by the majority.
Section 4: Officer duties and qualifications
1. Chief-
Duties - Shall preside over all meetings or delegate the responsibility there
of. Shall command at all emergency operations and PVFD functions. Shall preside
over the executive board. Shall be responsible for all day to day operations of
the PVFD. Shall be responsible for all communications equipment ( radios,
pagers, etc.), purchasing and maintenance. Shall be responsible for all personal
accountability tags and Apparatus responder boards. Chief shall be the official
spokesperson of the PVFD or may delegate an individual as necessary.
Qualifications – Shall be certified as a Basic or Intermediate Firefighter,
preferably Advanced by the State Fireman Fire Marshall Assoc. (SFFMA) or Texas
Commission of Fire Protection (TCFP). . Shall hold a minimum of an EMT-B
certification with Texas Department of Health (TDSHS).Should have at least 10
consecutive years of service with the PVFD. It is preferred that all of the Fire
Officer courses have been Taken at Texas A&M or equivalent.
2. Assistant Chief-
Duties- Shall assist the Chief at all emergency operations and PVFD functions.
Shall assist the Chief in all the day to day operations of the PVFD. In the
absence of the Chief the Assistant Chief shall have all the authority delegated
to the Chief. Shall be responsible for all PPE. Shall be responsible for the
buildings and grounds owned by the PVFD, and all cleaning supplies.
Qualifications- Shall be certified as a Basic or Intermediate Firefighter,
preferably Advanced by the SFFMA or TCFP. . Shall hold a minimum of an EMT-B
certification with TDSHS. Should have at least 8 consecutive years of service with
the PVFD. It is preferred that all of the Fire Officer courses have been taken
at Texas A&M or equivalent
3. Captain-
Duties- Will be responsible for maintaining all apparatus in a safe, working
condition and maintain a record of all maintenance. This will include pump
testing and keeping an inventory of required fluids for apparatuses. Shall be
responsible for annual certification and maintenance of SCBA. This will include
hydrostatic testing of SCBA bottles and records.
Qualifications-Shall be certified as a Basic preferably Intermediate Firefighter
either by the SFFMA or TCFP. Should have at least 5 consecutive years of service
with the PVFD. Shall hold a minimum of an EMT-B certification with TDSHS. It is
preferred that Fire Officer I and II have been taken at Texas A&M or equivalent.
4. Lieutenant Fire-
Duties- Shall be responsible for the inventory and maintenance of all the fire
and rescue equipment and maintain a record of all maintenance. Shall be
responsible for annual testing of all fire hose and records.
Qualifications- Shall be certified as a Basic Firefighter either by the SFFMA or
TCFP. It is preferred that an EMT-B certification with TDSHS be held. Should have
at least 3 consecutive years with the PVFD. It is preferred that Fire Officer I
have been taken at Texas A&M or equivalent.
5. Lieutenant EMS-
Duties- Shall be responsible for the inventory and maintenance of all emergency
medical supplies and equipment. Shall be responsible for cleaning station and
apparatus. Shall be responsible for EMS protocols, continuing education (CE),
and QI reports.
Qualifications- Shall hold a minimum of an EMT-I certification, Paramedic
preferred, with TDSHS. It is preferred that a Basic Firefighter certification with
SFFMA or TCFP. Should have at least 3 consecutive years with the PVFD.
6. Training Officer- Is appointed by the Executive Board.
Duties- It shall be the responsibility of the Training Officer to insure members
are receiving training as required by the SFFMA certification program and as
needed to maintain such skills. The Training Officer shall be responsible for
maintaining the training records of all members and submitting such records as
required by the SFFMA. The Training Officer will have authority at emergency
operations in the absence of a higher ranking Officer.
Qualifications- Shall hold a Basic Instructor certification and certified as an
Intermediate Firefighter by the SFFMA or TCFP. It would be preferable that an
EMT-B certification with TDSHS be held. Should have at least 5 consecutive years
of experience in the fire service with 2 years service with the PVFD. Two years
instructor experience will be preferred.
7. Secretary-
Duties- Shall be responsible to keep a history and record of attendance at all
Executive Board, business, and training meetings. Shall be responsible for the
history of the PVFD. Assist the Training officer with service records.
8. Treasurer-
Duties- Shall keep accurate records of all disbursements and receipts and
surrender same to any member or committee appointed by the Chief of the
department to act as an auditing committee. All disbursements are to be verified
by authentic paid receipts and shall be retained as permanent records. All
receipts shall be deposited in the financial institution used by the PVFD.
Note: Should any officer position become vacant and no member meets the
requirements, then members who most closely meet the requirements will be
eligible to hold that position.
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Article IV
Section 1. Attendance
All members, active or probationary, shall be required to attend all business
and training meetings. Members will be required to attend at least half of the
training class to receive credit. This is necessary to maintain knowledge,
skills, and stay updated with PVFD operations.
1. Three consecutive unexcused absences, (meetings and training), will be
reviewed by the executive board for recommendation of discipline.
2. Three consecutive tardy, (meetings and training), will be reviewed by the
executive board for recommendation of discipline.
Section 2. Excused absences
1. Personal illness that would make him/her unfit for duty.
2. Illness or death in the family as would require their attention or
attendance.
3. Work
4. Support of family member in other social activity.
5. Military duty.
Note: Any absence must be reported to an officer before the meeting or the
member shall receive an unexcused absence. This will apply to business,
training, or fundraisers.
Section 3. Leave of Absence
Any member in good standing may request a leave of absence in 30 day increments
not to exceed 90 days , this must be approved by the executive board prior to
the leave. Member shall report to the Chief at the end of the leave or will be
dropped from the PVFD rolls as a member. Any member who is on a leave of absence
will not respond to emergency incidents or participate in PVFD functions.
Section 4. Military Duty
Any member called up for military duty shall be granted an indefinite leave of
absence in accordance with the member’s military orders. The member shall
furnish a copy of such orders to be placed in the members personnel file.
Section 5. Pregnancy
Upon learning the fact of pregnancy the member shall report to the Chief and
will automatically be put on “pregnancy leave of absence”. At no time will she
be allowed to participate in any emergency operations or IDLH situations.
Assisting with rehab would be an exception. She will not be allowed to
participate in any training drills, except class room, unless cleared by her
physician and presented in writing to the Chief. She will be allowed to attend
business meetings and retains all rights to vote as an active member.
Section 6. Reinstatement
Any active member dropped from the PVFD rolls will not be allowed to apply for
reinstatement for a period of 1 year. Upon request for reinstatement, the
applicant will not have to fill out an application if the member left in good
standing and no personal information has changed. The applicant will go through
the voting process and a probationary period of 6 months.
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Article V
Section 1. Meetings and Training
1. Meetings and training will be held every Tuesday of the month with the first
Tuesday being the business meeting. The remaining Tuesdays will be for training.
2. Meetings and training will start at 7:00 p.m. (19:00) unless changed by the
Chief or Training Officer. Prior notice will be given as soon in advance as
possible.
3. The Chief or Training Officer can cancel a meeting at any time and will make
every effort to notify members as far in advance as possible.
4. Training may be needed to be held at other times during the week or on the
weekend. The members will be informed as far in advance as possible.
5. No member shall, after a meeting or training session leave until the Chief or
officer in charge grants permission.
Section 2. Order of Business
Business meetings will be conducted in the following order:
1. Call to order
2. Invocation
3. Roll call
4. Approval of minutes
5. Old business
6. New business
7. Application of membership
8. Report of Officers
9. Report of Committees
10. Benediction
Section 3. Rules
The Chief shall preside over all meetings. Roberts Rules of Order revised
edition shall govern the PVFD to which they are applicable and do not conflict
with the PVFD bylaws.
Section 4. Voting
1. Only active members are allowed to vote.
2. All matters requiring a vote will pass or fail by a majority vote.
3. No member shall be allowed to cast an absentee vote by proxy at any election
or matter of business.
4. Any proposed amendment(s) to this constitution and bylaws shall be submitted
in writing and read at a regular business meeting of the PVFD. It shall be voted
on at the following business meeting. A majority vote will pass or fail the
amendment(s).
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Article VI
Section 1. Discipline
1. It is the duty of each member to obey the PVFD officers in the faithful
discharge of duties connected with the PVFD. All members shall obey any
legitimate order given by a PVFD or mutual aid officer. Any member that does not
obey a legitimate order will have insubordination charges brought against them.
The Executive Board will review the charges and recommend the proper
disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the PVFD.
2. Under any complaint made to the Chief about an officer, the Chief shall
appoint a committee of three members not currently holding an officer position.
This committee shall use the PVFD bylaws and/or any PVFD policies as a standard
and their judgment shall be final.
3. Any PVFD officer has the power to reprimand any member or officer below
his/her rank. The reprimand may then be brought before the Executive Board. The
person or persons have the right to attend the meeting reviewing their incident.
In cases involving questionable driving, the member will not be permitted to
operate any PVFD apparatus or their personal owned vehicle (POV) in emergency
situations until the Executive Board reaches a decision on the case.
Section 2. Alcohol/Drugs
1. Due to the multitude of ramifications that result from accidents and/or
personnel operating in an emergency operation, and to maintain the PVFD image,
trust, and integrity with our community, and most of all your safety, any member
that has consumed any alcohol or is under the influence of drugs which can cause
impairment will not be allowed to respond to nor participate at any emergency
operations, meetings, training, or PVFD sponsored functions. Operating PVFD
apparatus under the influence of alcohol or drugs at any time is strictly
prohibited.
2. If a member shows up to an emergency operation under the influence of alcohol
or drugs, any member has the authority to question the member, regardless of
title. If necessary the member can tell the member in question to leave the
scene or premises if it can be done safely. It shall be reported immediately to
an officer. The member shall be immediately suspended from the PVFD until
reviewed by the Executive Board and a decision is reached on the appropriate
discipline.
3. No alcohol will be allowed to be consumed by PVFD members during any PVFD
sponsored function (i.e. Frontier Day, roping, training, etc.) until the
function and our duty requirements is completely over. Upon completion of the
event and PVFD member(s) choose to consume alcohol and are wearing PVFD insignia
they should do so responsibly. Any member caught consuming alcohol at a function
will be brought before the Executive Board.
4. Any member dropped from the rolls of the PVFD because of an alcohol/drug
related incident will not be allowed to reapply for membership to the PVFD at
any time.
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Article VII
Section 1. Shift Work
1. The PVFD shall operate under a three shift schedule in order to provide the
Ponder community with the highest possible fire and EMS service possible within
the parameters of the PVFD roster. This also minimizes the health and safety
risk of PVFD personnel by having a sufficient number of personnel at every
incident.
2. The shift schedule will run as A, B, C shifts from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 a. m.
(24hrs).
3. There shall be at least one officer assigned per shift and preferably a
minimum of 2 EMT-B. Each member shall be responsible for notifying the shift
officer if they are not able to fill their shift and who is covering for them.
4. The Chief shall maintain the roster as needed. Members can respond to other
shifts if they are available. All members shall respond, regardless of type of
call or shift, if a second page is given for an incident.
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Article VIII
Section 1. Uniforms
1. Class A dress uniform shall consist of white shirt (officers), blue shirt
(members), navy blue pants, black tie, black belt, black polishable shoes. This
uniform shall be worn to all formal functions if member is representing the PVFD.
2. Class B uniform shall consist of gray polo duty shirt and navy blue pants,
black shoes. This uniform can be worn to any training or functions. If wearing
it to out of city training, uniform should not be faded or stained as to look
unprofessional.
3. Class C uniform shall be the PVFD t-shirt and can be worn to alarms,
training, functions, and station duties. If wearing it to out of city training,
uniform should not be faded or stained as to look unprofessional
4. Uniforms shall be provided by the PVFD.
5. The PVFD patch shall be worn on the left shoulder. Members shall be allowed
to wear highest level of certification of choice under the PVFD patch. EMS
certifications shall be on the right shoulder.
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Article IX
Section 1. Fundraisers
The PVFD holds one main fundraisers each year.
1. Frontier Day, First weekend of June.
This date is the same every year. Members are required to adjust their
schedule if at all possible for these functions. Absence will fall under the
same guidelines for attendance as a regular meeting. Members are not to leave
until cleared to do so by the Chief or officer in charge.
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Article X
Section 1. Auxiliary organizations
Members of auxiliary organizations, such as the Lady VIP’s, shall be governed
under their own constitutions and bylaws.
This document is for the structure and organization of the PVFD. Each member
shall obey all By-Law and SOG’s, as set forth by the PVFD.
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