Sipesville Volunteer Fire Company

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
of
THE SIPESVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, INC.

We, the people of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, associate ourselves for the purpose of:

Article I. Title and Object

Section 01 This organization shall be known as the SIPESVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY, INC.

(A) The object and purpose shall be to assist in the protection and preservation of property and life from and during fires, storms and any other emergency call that may occur in Lincoln Township and in other areas when called to assist.

(B) To raise money and purchase and take title to equipment, real estate, and the property necessary and proper for said objects or purpose.

(C) In the event of the dissolution of the Sipesville Volunteer Fire Company, Inc., all property, monies and debts will be the responsibility of the Lincoln Township Municipality. It shall not be dispersed to any individual.

Amended 08/15/00

(D)The President, Fire Chief, and Board of Directors will see to it that this Constitution and By-Laws will be adhered to. Failure to adhere to the above will result in disciplinary action at the discretion of the board of directors. [see Article VI - Section 05 - H]

Article II. Membership

Section 01    Any person who is eighteen (18) years of age or older and of good moral character and does not belong actively to any other fire company is eligible for membership.

Section 02    All persons who wish to become a member of the Company shall fill out a Company application and it shall be signed by three (3) members who shall verify that Article II is being complied with. After a thorough background check by the Board of Directors, the applicant must then be approved by a two-thirds (?) vote of the members present at a regular business meeting. The background check will include a criminal history. Two (2) references, not necessarily a member, will be included for all applicants. No member who recommends an applicant will be involved in the investigation.

Section 03    No applicant shall attend any regular business meeting prior to notification of acceptance by the Recording Secretary.

Article III. Officers

Section 01    The officers of the Company shall consist of the following: President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Fire Chief, three (3) Trustees, and at the discretion of the Company, a Sergeant-at-Arms and a Delegate to the Somerset County Fireman's Association.

Section 02    All officers must have been a member for two (2) years prior to their election and be at least eighteen (18) years of age with the exception of Fire Chief, which must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age.

Section 03    The officers will be nominated at the regular business meeting in November, by written ballot election in December, and take their office January 1.

Article IV. Board of Directors

Section 01    The Board of Directors shall consist of the following: President, Fire Chief, three (3) trustees, and two (2) members at large, each for a two (2) year term.

Section 02    The Board of Directors Shall act only upon emergency business and at least three (3) members shall be present to constitute a quorum to transact any such business, after which such action is to be brought before the company at a regular business meeting, to be approved or rejected as the company deems proper. The Board of Directors shall have no other power or authority unless these By-Laws are later amended.

Article V. Meetings, Vacancies, Quorums

Section 01    The regular business meeting of the Company shall be held the third (3rd) Tuesday of each month at 7:00PM.

Section 02    Special Meetings

(A) Special meetings of the general membership may be called by the President or upon written request signed by five (5) members stating the object thereof and the business to be transacted. There will be no other business transacted.

(B) An officer will attempt to notify all active members on the roll of any special meeting.

Section 03    In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall preside, and if both are absent, a President Pro-Temp may be elected from the members present.

Section 04    Should a vacancy occur in any elective office by death or otherwise, this shall be deemed an emergency and the Board of Directors shall immediately proceed to appoint another to serve until the next regular business meeting of the Company.

Section 05    Seven (7) members shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business of the Company. At no time shall this Company be dissolved while there are seven (7) members willing to continue it.

Article VI. Duties of the Officers

Section 01    President

(A) The President shall preside at all regular business meetings, direct and maintain order, have an active management of the business of the meeting and enforce this Constitution and By-Laws.

(B) The President shall have the deciding vote on all questions before the Company where there is a tie vote.

(C) All certificates and notices shall require the President's signature to authenticate them.

(D) The President shall appoint all business committees.

Section 02    Vice President

(A) The Vice-President shall automatically move up to President.

(B) The Vice-President shall perform all duties of the President in the President's absence and have such duties as may from time to time be determined by the membership.

Section 03    Recording Secretary

(A) The Recording Secretary is required to keep correct minutes of the proceedings in a book provided for that purpose and perform all necessary reading and execute all such writings as the Company may require.

(B) The Recording Secretary shall have charge of the roll call book and at the appropriate time in the meeting call the roll of all the members.

(C) The Recording Secretary shall, in case he/she cannot attend, send the minute books in time for the meeting and the President shall appoint a member to fill the office.

(D) The Recording Secretary shall record all committees appointed by the President.

(E) The Recording Secretary shall notify all new members, prior to the next regular business meeting, in writing of their election to membership to the Company.

(F) The Recording Secretary shall inspect all applications for membership, together with the President.

(G) The Recording Secretary shall collect and receive all dues monies.

(H) The Recording Secretary Shall pay over to the Treasurer at the end of each meeting, all monies received at the end or between meetings.

(I) The Recording Secretary will notify, in writing, all members that have not paid their dues by the end of the February business meeting. If the dues are still not paid by the March business meeting, those members will be dropped from the roll.

Section 04    Treasurer

(A) The Treasurer shall have charge of all monies belonging to the Company, and shall sign all checks.

(B) The Treasurer shall deposit all money in the bank or banks and shall submit the books for inspection at any regular business meeting upon request, and upon request be able to show the correct balance on hand.

Section 05    Fire Chief

(A) It shall be the duty of the Fire Chief to see that the apparatus and everything pertaining thereto be kept in good condition and repair, and see that the engine room and the property therein are kept in good order.

(B) The Fire Chief shall see that every member does their duty to get the apparatus in effective condition for service after it has been in use.

(C) The Fire Chief shall have the power to grant a leave of absence to any one showing good cause for such leave and shall have the power to use additional men/women to help with the cleaning and other work on the apparatus to keep it in good condition.

(D) The Fire Chief shall keep a log book showing fires and other calls answered by the Company, showing the names of those who helped in this work both on the call and the making ready of the apparatus after it returns.

(E) The Fire Chief shall appoint the Assistant Chief(s), Captain(s), Lieutenants(s), Truck Foremen and Fire Police Captain in such numbers as he/she deems necessary to carry out the work.

(F) The Fire Chief shall appoint such other help as required to properly handle said apparatus now on hand or to come in the future.

(G) The Fire Chief shall have full power of direction at fires and other places where the apparatus is used. All members shall render full obedience to the Chief in the fighting of fires and other work performed by the apparatus.

(H) Those that willfully disobey at the time of a fire or other disaster may, upon proof before the Company, be reprimanded by the Board of Directors.

(I) The Fire Chief will be in charge of all training sessions and may appoint someone to take his/her place in his/her absence.

(J) The Fire Chief or Officer-in-Charge shall have the authority to deputize any member of the Somerset County Firemen's Association, or any other County's Firemen's Association in time of need or emergency.

(K) The Fire Chief may delegate any of the above responsibilities to any other line officer as deemed necessary.

Section 06    Assistant Fire Chief(s) / Deputy Fire Chief

(A) The Assistant Fire Chief(s) / Deputy Fire Chief shall perform all the duties of the Fire Chief in his/her absence.

Section 07    Fire Police Captain

(A) The Fire Police Captain shall be in charge of the fire police and appointing his/her officers as he/she deems necessary to carry out the work and all the duties that fall therein.

Section 08    Financial Secretary

(A) The duties of the Financial Secretary are to approve disbursements of checks and to recommend purchases.

(B) The Financial Secretary will assume the duties of the Secretary and/or Treasurer in their absence at a meeting.

Section 09    Truck Foreman

(A) The Truck Foreman shall assist the Fire Chief in maintaining all apparatus and equipment in good working condition.

(B) Any work or repairs performed will be reported to the Fire Chief.

Article VII. The Apparatus

Section 01 The apparatus shall not leave the engine house until a sufficient number of members are present to handle the apparatus: this number will be decided by the Fire Chief and the Line Officer(s).

Section 02 The apparatus shall be handled in a lawful manner at all times, respecting the rights of the people and the protection of their property.

Article VIII. Trustees

Section 01    The Trustees and their successors in office shall hold in trust all real estate belonging to the Company and have the sole power of mortgaging the same when ordered by two-thirds (?) vote of members present at a regular business meeting.

Section 02    The Trustees shall have charge of the Company's property and shall not make alterations to the property except upon a two-thirds (?) vote of the members present at a regular business meeting, nor shall they sell or transfer title to said property upon a resolution duly approved and passed by a two-thirds (?) vote of the members present at a regular business meeting.

Section 03    The Trustees, along with the Treasurer, shall have sole possession of the keys to the safe deposit box at all times and will be the only personnel permitted to sign to enter said box. The 3rd year Trustee will handle the keys and new signature card after January 1.

Section 04    The Trustees shall be in charge of seeing that the grounds and building(s) are maintained with the help of the general membership.

Article IX. Members

Section 01    A member that has twenty (20) years of service with the Company will be given a "Life-Time Membership". Life-Time members will no longer have to pay yearly dues to the Company.

Section 02    There will be two (2) classifications of members, which are as follows {and two (2) status levels within each class}:

(A) Emergency Response Members: are all members meeting requirements as defined in Article IX regarding emergency calls, fire fighting and rescue training.

(B) Social Members: are all members meeting requirements as defined in Article IX regarding social and fundraising events. Social Members will not hold a vote in any matter relating to fire or rescue apparatus and associated equipment.

(i) Active Members: These are the individuals that adhere completely to these by-laws.

(ii) Inactive Members: These are the individuals that do no attend meetings, etc. These members will not be allowed to vote or attend special Company meetings.

Section 03    All members shall be required to attend 33% of the regular business meetings or a combination of meetings, fire calls and training / fundraisers that will equal 33%. Failure to comply with this rule shall forfeit therein right to vote. (This does not apply to Life-Time Members.)

Section 04    The Company may, at a regular business meeting and upon hearing, suspend members for failure to comply with the Constitution, By-Laws and SOP's for conduct unbecoming a firefighter, for failure to pay dues, or willfully damaging or destroying property of the Company.

Section 05    Any member leaving the Fire Company who wishes to retain a social membership may do so upon the payment of annual dues. They will not be entitled to vote as an Emergency Response Member.

Section 06    Any member who becomes a member of any other fire company is no longer eligible to belong to the Sipesville Volunteer Fire Company.

Section 07    The regular annual dues shall be determined at the regular business meeting in December for the coming year.

Section 08    Any Line or Executive Officer wishing to resign from the Company or Office shall present his/her resignation in writing at a regular business meeting.

Section 09    All Emergency Response Members who do not have basic training within the first two (2) years shall attend "Essentials of Firefighting" at the county fire school and training session of the Company or have proof of the equal.

Article X. Election of Officers (Years & Periods of Time)

Section 01    The Vice-President and Financial Secretary shall be elected in the odd numbered years to serve for a period of two (2) years.

Section 02    The Recording Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected in the even numbered years to serve for a period of two (2) years.

Section 03    The Fire Chief shall be elected in the even numbered years to serve a period of two (2) years.

Section 04    Trustees shall be elected to serve for a period of three (3) years; one (1) elected each year.

Section 05    The Board of Directors shall be elected to serve for a period of two (2) years; one (1) elected each year.

Article XI. Order of Business at Regular Business Meeting

(A) Meeting called to order by the President or other person in charge

(B) Roll call by the Recording Secretary

(C) Guest Speakers

(D) Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting

(E) Reading of communications

(F) Deferred or old business

(G) New business

(H) Reports of investigating and special committees

(I) Reports of officers and standing committees

(J) Nominations of officers

(K) Election of officers

(L) Reading of the bills

(M) Reading of the receipts

(N) Balloting on candidates for membership

(O) Applications for membership

(P) Report on sick members

(Q) Anything for the Good of the Company

(R) Adjournment

Article XII. Ladies Auxiliary

Ladies Auxiliary of the Company may be formed and organized by the wives of the membership or other ladies interested in joining the organization of the Company, provided said Auxiliary is conducted in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Company as they now exist or are hereafter amended. Active members of the Ladies Auxiliary are entitled to Social Membership status.

Article XIII. Junior Firefighters

A Junior Firefighter Organization of the Company may be formed of individuals from the area between the ages of fourteen (14) through seventeen (17), consisting of junior firefighter ages fourteen (14) though fifteen (15) and minors ages sixteen (16) through seventeen (17). All state regulations must be conformed to before new members will be accepted. The Junior Organization will be conducted in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the Company as they now exist or are hereafter amended.

Amended 20 Feb. 1990

Article XIV. Honorary Member

Due to extraordinary service, someone may be received as an Honorary Member at the recommendation of an active member and by a two-thirds (?) vote of the members present at any regular business meeting. Honorary Members are exempt from paying dues but not entitled to voting privileges.

Amended 02/15/05

Article XV. Hall Rent

The Fire Hall can be rented to any interested party. The Fire Hall cannot be used for any type of weekly church services unless it is a case of a disaster. Any rental that is uncertain will be decided by the Board of Directors. Rental rates for the following year will be determined by vote at the regular business meeting in October. In case of any major local disaster requiring the use of the fire hall or facility, emergency use takes precedence over any previously scheduled rental event. Any rental, (social / fundraiser) not sponsored by the Sipesville Fire Hall must stipulate in all advertisements that they are not directly involved with the Sipesville Volunteer Fire Hall.

Amended 20 Feb. 1990

Article XVI. Amendments

The members of the Company by a majority vote of the members present, voting or entitled to vote, may alter, amend, suspend, or annul the By-Laws at any time at a regular meeting or special meeting called for this purpose, provided a quorum is present.

Article XVII. Adoption of By-Laws

Section 01 These By-Laws shall be adopted by a majority vote of the members present and voting at the time of its proposal to the members for ratification.

Section 02 These By-Laws shall be in full force and effect immediately upon their adoption as set forth in Section I of this Article,

Amended Feb. 20, 1996