The Township hereby cooperates with all other municipalities which adopt
a similar reciprocal ordinance, providing for intermunicipal police assistance
in times of emergency.
This intermunicipal assistance will be provided if and when the Township
of Old Bridge has an emergency within its boundaries requiring additional
police assistance to protect life and property, or to assist in suppressing
a riot or disorder; and whenever another municipality, which has enacted a
similar reciprocal ordinance, may experience a similar emergency requiring
additional police assistance.
The Chief of Police of the Township of Old Bridge, or the highest ranking
officer on duty at the time, is hereby authorized to request assistance from
the Chief, or the highest ranking officer on duty, of the police departments
of the other municipalities for intermunicipal police assistance during and/or
after an emergency situation.
The Chief of Police of the Township of Old Bridge, or the highest ranking
officer on duty at the time, shall provide assistance to another municipality
or municipalities making a valid request to supply such personnel and equipment,
to the extent possible without endangering person or property within the Township
of Old Bridge.
Members of Old Bridge Township Police Department supplying emergency
assistance to another municipality shall have the same powers and authority
as have the members of the police department of the municipality in which
said assistance is being rendered. Additionally, said members shall also have,
while so acting, said rights and immunities as they may otherwise enjoy in
the performance of their normal duties within the Township of Old Bridge.
The Township of Old Bridge shall, upon providing assistance to another
municipality which has enacted a similar intermunicipal assistance ordinance,
assume the cost and expense of providing said personnel and equipment to the
requesting municipality; excepting such instances when the requesting municipality
receives state or federal aid as reimbursement therefor. In this event, the
costs incurred by the Township shall be submitted to the municipality which
requested assistance for reimbursement.
At such times that an emergency may occur and intermunicipal police
aid is requested, the Chief of Police of the municipality wherein said emergency
situation exists shall be the senior ranking officer of all members of any
police department rendering assistance within the boundaries of said municipality.
In the event any member of a police force summoned pursuant to an agreement
to render assistance suffers injury or death in the performance of his or
her duties, he or she or his or her designee or legal representative shall
be entitled to such salary, pension rights, workers' compensation or other
benefits as would have accrued if such injury or death had occurred in the
performance of his or her normal duties.
A copy of this chapter shall be transmitted to the municipal clerk of
each municipality within Middlesex and Monmouth Counties no later than five
business days following its adoption. The Clerk of the Township of Old Bridge
shall maintain a record of all such similar ordinances adopted by other municipalities.