This bill proposes amendments to the Code of West Virginia regarding the appointment of fire chiefs in municipalities. It allows municipalities to exempt fire chiefs from civil service protection through an ordinance, enabling the mayor or council to appoint the fire chief similarly to how municipal police chiefs are selected. The bill includes provisions that clarify the authority of volunteer fire companies and outlines eligibility requirements for receiving allocations from municipal pensions and protection funds.

Key changes in the bill include the insertion of language that states nothing in the section requires a municipality to classify the fire chief as a civil servant. Additionally, it modifies the existing law to specify that if the fire chief is appointed by the mayor or commission, the position is exempt from civil service provisions until the governing body decides otherwise. The bill also updates the definition of "appointing officer" to refer to the municipal officer responsible for appointing members of the paid fire department.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 8-15-4, 8-15-8a, 8-15-11