Section 737.22. Appointment of fire chief or fire prevention officer and firefighters

(A) Each village establishing a fire department shall have a fire chief as the department's head, appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the legislative authority of the village, who shall continue in office until removed from office as provided by sections 733.35 to 733.39 of the Revised Code. Neither this section nor any other section of the Revised Code requires, or shall be construed to require, that the fire chief be a resident of the village.

In each village not having a fire department, the mayor shall, with the advice and consent of the legislative authority of the village, appoint a fire prevention officer who shall exercise all of the duties of a fire chief except those involving the maintenance and operation of fire apparatus.

The legislative authority of the village may fix the compensation it considers best. The appointee shall continue in office until removed from office as provided by sections 733.35 to 733.39 of the Revised Code. Section 737.23 of the Revised Code shall extend to the officer.

(B) The legislative authority of the village may provide for the appointment of permanent full-time paid firefighters as it considers best and fix their compensation, or for the services of volunteer firefighters, who shall be appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of the legislative authority, and shall continue in office until removed from office.

(1) No person shall be appointed as a permanent full-time paid firefighter of a village fire department, unless either of the following applies:

(a) The person has received a certificate issued under former section 3303.07 of the Revised Code or section 4765.55 of the Revised Code evidencing satisfactory completion of a firefighter training program.

(b) The person began serving as a permanent full-time paid firefighter with the fire department of a city or other village prior to July 2, 1970, and receives a fire training certificate issued under section 4765.55 of the Revised Code.

(2) No person who is appointed as a volunteer firefighter of a village fire department shall remain in that position, unless either of the following applies:

(a) Within one year of the appointment, the person has received a certificate issued under former section 3303.07 or section 4765.55 of the Revised Code evidencing satisfactory completion of a firefighter training program.

(b) The person has served as a permanent full-time paid firefighter with the fire department of a city or other village prior to July 2, 1970, or as a volunteer firefighter with the fire department of a city, township, fire district, or other village prior to July 2, 1979, and receives a certificate issued under division (C)(3) of section 4765.55 of the Revised Code.

(3) No person shall receive an appointment under this section unless the person has, not more than sixty days prior to receiving the appointment, passed a physical examination, given by a licensed physician, a physician assistant, a clinical nurse specialist, a certified nurse practitioner, or a certified nurse-midwife, showing that the person meets the physical requirements necessary to perform the duties of the position to which the person is to be appointed as established by the legislative authority of the village. The appointing authority shall, prior to making an appointment, file with the Ohio police and fire pension fund or the local volunteer fire fighters' dependents fund board a copy of the report or findings of that licensed physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse practitioner, or certified nurse-midwife. The professional fee for the physical examination shall be paid for by the legislative authority of the village.

Effective Date: 03-31-2003; 04-05-2007