CHAP. 409.—An ACT to amend the charter of Lynchburg, by adding
an additional chapter thereto.

Approved March 3, 1886.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
the following chapter be added to the present charter of the
city of Lynchburg, to be inserted next after chapter seven of
said charter, and headed chapter eight; the succeeding chapters
of said charter, now headed respectively chapters eight, nine
and ten, to be hereafter headed and known as chapters nine,
ten and eleven, to-wit:

CHAPTER VIII.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.

§ 1. The council shall appoint one person, not a member ot
its body, from each ward of the city, who shall together con-
stitute a board of fire commissioners. Their term of office shal!
be for as many years as there may be election wards in the city
except that of the board for it appointed. The member from
the first ward shall hold the office only until the regular meet-
ing of the council in July, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven;
the member from the second ward until the regular meeting in
July, eighteen hundred and eighty-eight; and the member from
the third ward until the regular meeting in July, eighteen hun-
dred and eighty-nine, and so on; and at its regular meeting in
July, eighteen hundred and eighty-seven, and annually there-
after, the council shall fill the vacancy created by the expiration
of the term of office of one member of said board; and the
term of office of each member, when so elected, shall thereafter
be for the full number of years above provided. When a
vacancy shall occur in the board otherwise than by the regular
expiration of the term of a member, the council shall fill such
vacancy for the unexpired term. Should new wards. at any
time be added to the number now existing, the council shall,
during the month of July next ensuing, elect a member of said
board for such ward, but such election shall be in lieu of the
election which would otherwise have been made; and the term
of office of the members of the board shall be increased by as
many years as there shall be new wards, so that the terms of
office shall be for as many years as there are wards, and one
member of said board shall be elected annually.

§ 2. As soon as practicable after said board shall be appointed,
the members shall qualify and organize, by the election of one
of their number as president. The board shall keep a record
of. all their proceedings, and shall prescribe rules for their gov-
ernment in the transaction of their business as they may deem
proper.

§ 3. The said board shall, as soon as practicable, devise and
report to the council, for its action, a scheme of organization
for the fire department, and shall annually, within fifteen days
of the close of each fiscal year, submit to the council a report
of its proceedings for the past year, showing what firemen have
been selected, who removed, and the causes for such removal,
what rules and regulations have been made for the government
of the fire department, and any other action on the part of said
board which may be deemed important; said beard shall, in
such report, or at any other time it may deem advisable, sub-
mit to the council any recommendation in regard to the organi-
zation, government, duties and powers of the fire department
which it may think beneficial.

$4. The board shall select and enlist such number of firemen
as the council shall prescribe; but no selection and enlistment
of a fireman shall be made except as the council shall have
prescribed. After the force shall have been so constituted, any
vacancy therein shall be filled by the board in like manner.
The firemen, when selected and enlisted, shall retain their po-
sitions during good behavior, or until they may be severally
removed by the board. Each fireman, as soon as enlisted,
shall be enrolled by the board, and receiye a warrant of enlist-
ment signed by a majority of the board.

§5. The said board shall select some duly licensed physician
of the city, who shall be known as the surgeon of the fire de-
partment, and the board of fire commissioners shall issue no
enlistment warrant to any fireman selected and enlisted, until
said surgeon shall examine such person physically, and give a
certificate in writing that the person so selected is of sound
health and body, and.competent physically to discharge all the
duties of a fireman. For such examination said surgeon shall
receive the compensation prescribed by the council.

§6. The said board shall perform any other duties connected
with the fire department, which the council may delegate to it;
but no compensation shall be made to it, or to the members
thereof, for any services rendered in the discharge of any other
duties under this charter.

2. This act shall be in force from its passage.