(a) General rule.--No person employed in any police or fire force of any borough may be suspended without pay, removed or reduced in rank except for the following reasons:

(1) Physical or mental disability affecting the person's ability to continue in service, in which case the person shall receive an honorable discharge from service.

(2) Neglect or violation of any official duty.

(3) Violation of any law if the violation constitutes a misdemeanor or felony.

(4) Inefficiency, neglect, intemperance, immorality, disobedience of orders or conduct unbecoming of an officer.

(5) Intoxication while on duty.

(6) Engaging or participating in the conduct of a political or election campaign while on duty or in uniform or while using borough property otherwise than to exercise the person's own right of suffrage.

(7) Engaging or participating in the conduct of a political or election campaign for an incompatible office as provided in section 1104(f) (relating to appointments and incompatible offices).

(b) Restriction.--A person employed by a police or fire force shall not be removed for religious, racial or political reasons.

(c) Statement of charges.--A written statement of charges made against a person shall be furnished to the person within five days after the statement of charges is filed. The person shall have ten days from the date of receiving the notice to submit a written request for a hearing to the civil service commission under section 1191 (relating to hearings on dismissals and reductions).

(d) Furlough.--If, for reasons of economy or other reasons, it shall be deemed necessary by any borough to reduce the number of paid employees of the police or fire force, the borough shall furlough the person, including a probationer, last appointed to the respective force. The removal shall be accomplished by furloughing in numerical order commencing with the person last appointed until the reduction shall have been accomplished. In the event the police or fire force shall again be increased, the employees furloughed shall be reinstated in the order of their seniority in the service. This subsection as to reductions in force is not applicable to a chief of police.