The mayor, by and with approval and consent of council, shall appoint the fire chief who may be demoted without cause but not to any rank lower than the rank which the fire chief held within the fire bureau at the time of designation as fire chief. In the event that no qualified employee of the fire bureau has applied for the appointment, the fire chief shall be appointed by the mayor, by and with approval and consent of council, from outside the ranks.
Cross References. Section 12101.1 is referred to in sections 12102, 14406.1 of this title.