In order to provide more effective and efficient protection
against fire, there is hereby authorized, created and established
the Metuchen Volunteer Fire Department. This Department shall consist
of two fire companies known as the Eagle Hook & Ladder Company
and the Washington Hose Company. The said fire companies may merge
or consolidate, at which time the Department shall consist of a single
fire company known as the Metuchen Volunteer Fire Company.
The Chief, the Deputy or line officers in command at any fire
are hereby clothed with full and complete police authority and are
authorized to call upon the head of any municipal departments for
such aid or assistance as the circumstances may require and warrant.
The Fire Chief or Fire Inspector is hereby empowered to enter
any buildings and premises at any reasonable time for purposes of
inspection where accumulations of combustible materials or other hazardous
conditions are liable to exist. He or she is further empowered to
order such changes or removals as in his or her opinion and judgment
are necessary to ensure safety from fire.
The administrative functions of the Fire Chief shall include
the following:
A. He or she shall hold meetings with the Deputy Chief and line officers
to keep them aware of Department policies and proceedings.
B. He or she shall adopt, and amend from time to time, the code of rules
for the control, management and government of the Volunteer Fire Department
and for the regulations of the proceedings and business, which code
of rules and all amendments thereto shall not become permanent until
presented to and approved by the Borough Council. He or she shall
by general order make changes which are necessary for the immediate
operation of the Department and that shall remain in effect until
expired, rescinded or made permanent during a code update and approval
by the Borough Council.
C. He or she shall devise forms or methods of keeping records and shall
see that records are kept of all alarms of fires, fire losses, methods
of extinguishment, drills, hoses, apparatus, minor equipment, condition
of hydrants and starting motors.
D. He or she shall prescribe uniform and designating devices as required
for various occasions.
E. He or she shall make rules concerning the resignation, transfer,
retirement, expulsion or suspension of any members of the Volunteer
Fire Department, provided that the expulsion of any member is subject
to the approval of the Borough Council.
F. He or she shall establish and appoint a chain of command among the
line officers.
G. He or she shall appoint a Safety Officer and Chief Engineer, provided
there are qualified members in the ranks to assume those positions.
The following reports are required from the Fire Chief and from
the company officers:
A. The Fire Chief shall report monthly to the Borough Council the condition
of the various pieces of apparatus and equipment; the condition of
hydrants; the number, date, cause, loss and location of all fires;
the number in each company; the number of active members in the Volunteer
Fire Department; the resignations and expulsions and the new members
elected.
B. The Fire Chief shall include in his or her monthly report, as the
occasion requires, recommendations for the improvement of the Department.
C. It shall be the duty of the Captain of each company to keep a permanent
record of the fire and drill service of each member of his or her
company, a copy of which shall be submitted annually to the Board
of Fire Officers at the close of each year.
The ownership of all apparatus and equipment of the Department
shall be vested in the Borough.
The Mayor and Council of the Borough are hereby empowered to
purchase, if and when it shall be deemed necessary and possible to
do so, whatever fire apparatus and equipment that may be needed to
provide adequate protection for the Borough against fire.
The procurement of all material for the Department shall be
vested in the Mayor and Council of the Borough.
In an emergency when immediate repairs to the Department's
apparatus and equipment are necessary, the Chief is empowered to authorize
such repairs and report his or her action immediately to the Mayor
and Council or their properly constituted authority.
It shall be the duty of the Company Captain to appoint, by and
with the consent and approval of the Chief, qualified drivers for
each automobile or other vehicular apparatus of the Department. It
shall be the duty and responsibility of the authorized drivers to
maintain all such apparatus in good condition and ready for immediate
service. No one shall be permitted, except the authorized drivers,
to tamper with, fix or repair any such apparatus unless directed to
do so by the Chief. No one shall drive the automobiles or other vehicular
apparatus of the Department except the regularly appointed drivers,
unless directed to do so by the Chiefs or line officers.
It shall be the duty of the Chief to see that the line officers
have the motors of apparatus turned over and operated routinely in
accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and that a
record be kept of such operations at the company quarters.
No Department apparatus shall be let out for hire or let in
any case, except upon consent of the Mayor or other constituted authority
and of the Chief, and then only in case of a fire in a neighboring
municipality.
Compensation insurance shall be provided by the governing body
of the Borough for volunteer firemen as required by and in accordance
with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 34:15-74.