[Adopted 7-9-2002 by Ord. No. 1970]
There is hereby established as part of the Fire
Department a Junior Ambulance and Firefighters Squad, the purpose
of which is to introduce into the Fire Department interested young
persons not having attained sufficient age to qualify for regular
membership therein to the services provided by that Department and
the obligations of its regular members and to provide those young
persons with training and experience that will facilitate their membership
in the Department when they reach the minimum age required for regular
membership.
The Junior Ambulance and Firefighters Squad
shall be composed of such maximum number of members as the Chiefs
of the Fire Department shall hereafter determine in relation to the
need for such members and the ability to train and supervise them.
Such members shall be at least 16 but no older than 17 years of age,
of good moral character, well disciplined and certified by a licensed
physician of New Jersey to be of good health. Such members shall meet
the same residency requirements as those imposed upon full members.
The Chiefs of the Fire Department, with the approval of the Fire Committee,
may impose such further qualifications as they deem necessary and
appropriate. Membership in this Squad shall not be construed to be
full membership in the Fire Department nor confer any of the privileges
of such full membership except to the extent specifically provided
in this article.
Any person, within six months of attaining the age of 16 years, who is otherwise qualified as provided in § 28-37, may make application to the Chiefs of the Fire Department upon such forms as they may devise to assure that the qualifications for membership are met. All such applications shall include the written consent to membership of a parent or legal guardian of the respective applicant. The Chiefs shall reasonably assign, in their own discretion, a score upon each application received in relation to the anticipated assignment of each applicant and respectively and periodically accept into membership so many of the highest ranked applicants as they deem necessary and appropriate under § 28-37 hereof.
Upon acceptance of any application for membership
in the Hasbrouck Heights Junior Ambulance and Firefighters Squad,
the Chiefs of the Fire Department shall assign each new squad member
for training and duty in one of the three fire companies or in the
Ambulance Squad. Such assignment shall be based upon the need of each
of the several companies or the Ambulance Squad, their respective
preparedness to provide the required training and supervision of such
junior member, and the expressed intention of the junior member, if
any.
A.Â
General rules. The Chiefs of the Fire Department shall
formulate a set of general rules and regulations setting forth:
(1)Â
The duties and responsibilities of the junior members;
(2)Â
The duties of each of the three fire companies and
the Ambulance Squad in respect to the supervision and training of
the junior members assigned to each. The Chiefs of the Fire Department
from time to time may amend and supplement such general rules as they
deem necessary. All such general rules and regulations and any amendments
and supplements thereto shall be subject to the review and approval
of the Fire Committee of the governing body.
B.Â
Company and Ambulance Squad rules and regulations.
The officers of each of the three companies and of the Ambulance Squad
shall formulate a set of more specific rules and regulations, which
shall include a program of training and supervision in respect to
the junior members to be assigned to it. The further more specific
rules and regulations governing the junior members assigned to it
shall be specifically related to its functions but shall not be inconsistent
with the general rules and regulations established by the Chiefs.
The Company and Ambulance Squad rules and regulations may be amended
and supplemented as the respective officers deem necessary. All Company
and Ambulance Squad rules and regulations and amendments and supplements
thereto shall be subject to review and approval by the Chiefs of the
Fire Department.
C.Â
Enforcement and compliance. It shall be the duty of
the officer of the Company and of the Ambulance Squad to which the
junior member is assigned to strictly enforce all of the aforesaid
general and applicable specific rules and regulations upon any junior
member assigned to that officer's company or Ambulance Squad. Further,
it shall be the duty of every member of the Fire Department to report
any infraction of any of the aforesaid rules and regulations by a
junior member to an officer of the Company or of the Ambulance Squad
to which that junior member is assigned or to any of the Chiefs of
the Department. If, in the sole discretion of the officer or Chief
to whom such infraction is reported, it is deemed that such infraction
may in any way endanger the safety of that junior member or the safety
of others, it shall be the duty and authority of that officer or Chief
to immediately relieve that junior member from duty and take such
other immediate action as he or she may deem necessary to prevent
such danger.
Members in good standing of the Junior Ambulance
and Firefighters Squad shall be entitled to a clothing allowance in
such amount and payable in such manner as shall be hereafter fixed
and determined by the Mayor and Council, provided that such junior
members shall have complied with the minimum requirements to entitle
such allowance as set in the general rules and regulations of the
Chiefs.
Members in good standing of the Junior Ambulance
and Firefighters Squad shall be afforded the same liability and workers'
compensation insurance coverage as afforded regular members of the
Fire Department.
Any applicable rule or regulation to the contrary
notwithstanding, no member of the Junior Ambulance and Firefighters
Squad shall be required to perform any duty or undertake any activity
which would reasonably be anticipated to expose that member to any
risk of injury, and any regular member of the Department shall have
the duty and authority to order any junior member to take any reasonable
action to avoid such risk.
