US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

 
    § 487. Powers. a. The commissioner shall have sole and exclusive power
  and  perform  all  duties  for  the  government, discipline, management,
  maintenance and direction of the fire department and  the  premises  and
  property in the custody thereof, however, the commissioner shall provide
  written  notice  with  supporting documentation at least forty-five days
  prior to the permanent closing of any firehouse or the permanent removal
  or relocation  of  any  fire  fighting  unit  to  the  council  members,
  community  boards  and  borough presidents whose districts are served by
  such facility or unit and the chairperson of the council's public safety
  committee. For the purposes of this section, the term "permanent"  shall
  mean  a  time  period  in  excess of six months.   In the event that the
  permanent  closing  of  any  firehouse  or  the  permanent  removal   or
  relocation of any firefighting unit does not occur within four months of
  the  date  of  the  written notice, the commissioner shall issue another
  written notice with supporting documentation  prior  to  such  permanent
  removal  or  relocation. The four months during which the written notice
  is effective shall be tolled for any period in which a restraining order
  or injunction prohibiting the closing of such noticed facility  or  unit
  shall be in effect.
    b. The department shall have sole and exclusive power and authority to
  extinguish  fires  at  any place within the jurisdiction of the city and
  shall have power and authority to extinguish fires upon  any  vessel  in
  the  port  of New York or upon any dock, wharf, pier, warehouse or other
  structure bordering upon or adjacent to such port.
    c. The commissioner shall have power to cause any vessel moored to  or
  anchored  near any dock or pier in the city to be removed to and secured
  at such place in the harbor as shall be designated by the  commissioner,
  provided that such vessel shall be on fire or in danger of catching fire
  or may be, by reason of its condition or the nature of its cargo, a fire
  menace to shipping, to property or to the water front of the city.
    d.  The  commissioner  shall have sole and exclusive jurisdiction over
  the approval of the installation of  all  containers  for  combustibles,
  chemicals,  explosives,  inflammables  or  other  dangerous  substances,
  articles, compounds or mixtures,  except  storage  tanks  and  auxiliary
  storage tanks for oil-burning equipment and except where the location of
  the  container  may  affect the structural condition of the building, in
  which case the commissioner shall not  give  his  approval  without  the
  approval  of  the  commissioner  of  buildings.  The  commissioner shall
  certify his approval of all installations  of  containers  in  buildings
  except  storage  tanks  and  auxiliary  storage  tanks  for  oil-burning
  equipment to the commissioner of buildings.
    e. The commissioner shall have the sole and exclusive power from  time
  to  time  to designate and fix the location of all fire alarm telegraph,
  signal and alarm stations in the city, and  shall  have  access  to  and
  control of the same for the purpose of the department.
    f.  The  department  shall  have  the  power  and authority to provide
  general  ambulance  services,  emergency  medical  services  and   other
  response  services  necessary  to  preserve  public  health,  safety and
  welfare, and to perform any functions relating to the provision of  such
  services. This subdivision shall not be construed to limit or impair the
  powers of any other agency established pursuant to this charter.