Sec. 7-313a. Fire police. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 7-313a. Fire police. The authorities having the supervision of the fire department of any town, city, borough or district may appoint such number of persons, within available appropriations, as they deem necessary to be fire police officers of such municipality or district, who shall have the powers and perform the duties in such municipality or district as designated and authorized by the fire chief of such municipality or district, and such fire police officers may exercise such powers and duties in any adjoining municipality or district while on duty with the fire department or with a cooperating fire department, where the department is engaged in mutual assistance. Such powers and duties shall include traffic control and regulation and may be exercised by such fire police during any fire drill or fire call or at any other time when such fire police are serving with the fire department, with any other fire department in an adjoining municipality or district or with any fire department rendering mutual assistance. Each such fire police officer while in the performance of fire police duties shall wear the badge of office in plain view of any observer. Each such fire police officer, while directing traffic in performance of the duties of fire police, (1) shall wear a white helmet with the words "Fire Police" in red letters on the front thereof or regulation fire-police dress uniform cap and after dark or in inclement weather, a traffic safety vest, orange or lime green raincoat or any reflectorized orange or lime green outer clothing, that meets national, state and local traffic safety standards, (2) carry a flashlight, which shall have a red or orange wand and be capable of projecting a clear light for the purpose of illumination at nighttime, and (3) utilize hand-held or portable traffic control devices appropriate for the time of day, weather and traffic flow. Such helmet, cap, vest, raincoat or outer clothing, badge, traffic control equipment and flashlight may be supplied by the appointing municipality or district.

      (1961, P.A. 444; February, 1965, P.A. 172, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 83; 1971, P.A. 80; P.A. 88-142, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-115; P.A. 02-20, S. 1; P.A. 03-181, S. 2.)

      History: 1965 act added provisions concerning helmet, badge and flashlight as required accoutrements during performance of duties; 1967 act allowed appointment of fire police in numbers deemed necessary, removing former limit of twelve; 1971 act deleted provision limiting term of appointment to one year and added provisions concerning wearing of dress uniform caps and safety vests or orange raincoats; P.A. 88-142 allowed appointment of fire police within available appropriations and provided that they have the powers and duties designated by the fire chief, instead of the powers and duties of special constables; P.A. 91-115 permitted fire policemen to wear reflectorized orange outer clothing and required such policemen to carry a flashlight with a red wand while directing traffic after dark or in inclement weather; P.A. 02-20 allowed officers to wear lime green raincoat or outer clothing and made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality, effective May 6, 2002; P.A. 03-181 added Subdiv. designators and made technical changes, inserted "in performance of the duties of fire police" re directing traffic, amended provisions designated as Subdiv. (1) by requiring fire police gear to meet national, state and local traffic safety standards, amended provisions designated as Subdiv. (2) by allowing the use of a flashlight with an orange wand, added provisions designated as Subdiv. (3) to require fire police to use hand-held or portable traffic control devices while directing traffic, and removed mandate that municipalities and fire districts supply fire police with certain gear and traffic control equipment.