Section 10-1018. Duties of chief and assistants

The chief shall be president
  of  the  council  and of the meetings of the fire department.  He shall,
  under the direction of a separate board of fire commissioners,  if  any,
  have  exclusive  control  of  the  members at all fires, inspections and
  reviews, the supervision of the engines, hose and other apparatus  owned
  by  the  village  for  the prevention or extinguishment of fires, of all
  property owned by the fire department, and of all officers and employees
  thereof elected or employed by the council or by  a  separate  board  of
  fire  commissioners, if any. He shall, whenever required by the board of
  fire commissioners, report to the board the condition of the property of
  the department and such other information respecting the  department  as
  may  be  required.  He shall hold the members, officers and employees of
  the department strictly to account for neglect of duty, and  may,  in  a
  village  in which separate fire commissioners are not appointed, suspend
  or discharge them at any time, subject to the approval of two-thirds  of
  the  members  of  the  council  at  the  next  meeting.   He shall, upon
  application, and if authorized by the council, or a  separate  board  of
  fire  commissioners,  if  any,  issue  through the secretary of the fire
  department a certificate of the time of service of a member of the  fire
  department, and shall give to each officer of the department immediately
  after his election a certificate thereof countersigned by the secretary.
  In  case  of  the inability or absence of the chief, the first assistant
  and in case of the absence or inability of  both  the  chief  and  first
  assistant,  the  second  assistant,  and  in  the  absence of the second
  assistant, the third assistant, if any, and in the absence of the  third
  assistant,  if  any,  the  fourth  assistant,  if any, shall perform the
  duties and have all the powers of the chief.