(1) The board shall control the fire department or departments within their district and the property and equipment in these departments.
(2) The board may appoint a chief of the fire department or departments and all subordinates and the number of members in the fire departments shall be determined by the board in their sole discretion. The board shall, by resolution, fix the salaries of all employees of the fire department, provide for their payment and for the payment of other expenses of the fire protection district. The board may, in their sole discretion, appoint volunteer firemen and fix, by resolution, their compensation, if any, and provide for payment of this compensation. The board may likewise reduce the number of employees of their district so long as their action is not capricious or arbitrary.