(a) The fire department shall consist of the chief of the fire department and a sufficient number of volunteer firefighters to maintain and operate the department. The council shall appoint the chief and approve the appointment to the department of all members. The department may from time to time adopt its own rules and regulations governing the department subject to the approval of the council.

(b) The chief is authorized and empowered at his discretion to appoint in any emergencies he deems necessary such temporary members of the department as he desires to serve as members temporarily, and each such member so appointed shall be entitled to the same rights and benefits as all other members of the department for the duration of such temporary service, no matter how limited his length of service may be.
(Code 1981, § 3-2001)