SANDPOINT — The Sandpoint Fire Department’s code of rules and regulations has been revised and updated for the first time in years.

Council members authorized an updated set of regulations and organizational structures at their most recent council meeting as a part of ongoing fire department housekeeping, which included union agreements and other contractual obligations. The new code specifications provide an update to protocols that hadn’t changed since 1989.

According Fire Chief Robert Tyler, the biggest reasons the council was taking a look at the policy now after more than 20 years were organizational alterations and a change in drug policies. When Tyler took over the department years ago, he found no need to revise the standard operating procedures that were already in play. With the work complete on the rules and regulations document, operating procedures have been moved into a guiding document of their own.  

As for the drug policies, the rules and regulations are simply in line with testing requirements for all city employees. Tyler also requested that he be including in the random drug testing policies as a gesture of equality to his employees.

“I really don’t request my personnel to do anything that I wouldn’t do,” he said. “I want to be included in this policy for all the same safety reasons that are in the document.”

The rules and regulations define the department hierarchy, with Tyler heading up the department, followed by descending ranks of leadership among the professional firefighters. It also defines the expectations from each professional and volunteer firefighter. According to the document, all personnel are also responsible to meet health requirements and participate in random drug tests.  

The manner in which employee grievances are investigated is also impacted by the rules and regulations. Employee contracts define hours, wages and working conditions, and when an individual feels his contract has been violated by the rules and regulations, he or she can file against it. However, City Attorney Scot Campbell said he and other city officials maintain an open-door policy for discussing the policy and making changes based on informal discussions as well.

Council members found the rules and regulations document to be fairly complete as it stood and only made changes to the syntax and wording of certain sections.