[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Hillsborough 6-10-1986 by Ord. No. 86-9 (Ch.
20 of the 1977 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
Creation. There is hereby created the Bureau of Fire
Operations in the Township of Hillsborough.
B.
Goals and duties.
(1)
The Bureau of Fire Operations shall pursue any and
all fire safety, fire prevention and fire operations legislation beneficial
to the residents of Hillsborough Township, both on a state and municipal
level, in the area of fire safety, prevention and operations.
[Amended 4-9-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07]
(2)
The Bureau of Fire Operations shall coordinate those
drills and functions of the member companies which can best be coordinated
by the Bureau.
(3)
The Bureau of Fire Operations shall develop regulations
to be obeyed by the public with respect to the efficient fighting
of fires and the maintenance of equipment in connection therewith.
Said regulations shall be delineated in § 57-7 of this chapter
and shall be enforced by the Township Chief Fire Marshal described
or the Township Police or Fire Chief in charge of a particular fire-fighting
operation or his duly authorized representative.[1]
[Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-24]
(4)
The Bureau of Fire Operations shall establish the
standard operating procedure and other policies for the member companies
during fire emergencies.
(5)
All the proposed regulations [referred to in §§ 57-1B(3) and 57-7] and all proposed operating procedures [referred to in § 57-1B(4)] shall be submitted to and receive the approval of the Board of Fire Commissioners before being considered for adoption by the Bureau of Fire Operations. Any disapproval by the Board of Fire Commissioners must be made within 30 days, together with specific reasons therefor, or else the same shall be considered approved.
[Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-24]
A.
An appointed Fire Commissioner (to be appointed from among the Board of Fire Commissioners) and all presiding Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs of the Fire Companies serving the Township of Hillsborough, known as "Hillsborough No. 1 (Flagtown)," "Hillsborough No. 2," "Hillsborough No. 3" and "Neshanic," and the Township Chief Fire Marshal shall constitute the membership of the Bureau of Fire Operations. Passage of any action or resolution shall require the affirmative vote of three members of the Bureau, with the exception of §§ 57-5 and 57-6.
B.
Only the Chief and Assistant Chief of each company
shall be entitled to one vote per company. If the Chief and Assistant
Chief cannot agree on the vote for their company, the vote of the
Chief shall govern. In the absence of the Chief, the Assistant Chief
shall cast his company vote. The appointed Fire Commissioner shall
have one vote. The Township Chief Fire Marshal, although not a voting
member of the Bureau, shall act in an advisory capacity to the Bureau.
[Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-24; 4-9-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07]
A.
The officers of the Bureau of Fire Operations shall
consist of a President, Vice President, and Secretary. The order in
which officers in each company shall serve shall progress in ascendancy
and shall be in the same rotation as that of the meeting place, i.e.,
Hillsborough No. 1 (Flagtown), Hillsborough No. 2, Hillsborough No.
3 and Neshanic.
B.
The powers and duties of an officer shall be shared
by the Chief and Assistant Chief of the member company which assumes
that office.
C.
The duty of the Chief Fire Marshal regarding this
chapter is to attend all Bureau meetings, to act in an advisory capacity
to the members of the Board of Fire Commissioners and to supervise
the administration and enforcement of the regulations developed by
the Bureau of Fire Operations for the fighting of fires and the maintenance
of equipment as described in § 57-7. The referenced last
duty shall be shared by the members of the Bureau serving the Township
of Hillsborough.
D.
For the purpose of conducting a meeting, the highest
ranking Chief in attendance holding an office shall act as spokesman
for that office.
E.
All terms of office will be for one year.
F.
The slate of officers from the companies shall assume
their respective offices at the Bureau's annual January meeting.
A.
The stated meeting of the Bureau shall be held quarterly.
[Amended 2-27-1990 by Ord. No. 90-2; 12-14-1993 by Ord. No. 93-35; 4-9-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07]
B.
A special meeting may be called by the President at
the request of two companies, at which no business shall be transacted
other than that for which the meeting was called.
C.
Regular or special meetings of the Bureau shall be
conducted only when the number of companies represented shall not
be fewer than three.
A.
Authority at fires and other emergencies. The Fire
Chief or duly authorized representative as may be in charge at the
scene of a fire or other emergency involving the protection of life
and/or property is empowered to direct such operations as may be necessary
to extinguish or control any suspected or reported fires, gas leaks
or other hazardous conditions or situations or to take any other necessary
action in the reasonable performance of his duty. The Fire Chief or
duly authorized representative may prohibit any person, vehicle or
object from approaching the scene and may remove or cause to be removed
from the scene any person, vehicle or object which may impede or interfere
with the operations of the Fire Department. The Fire Chief or duly
authorized representative may remove or cause to be removed any person,
vehicle or object from hazardous areas. All persons ordered to leave
the hazardous area shall do so immediately and shall not reenter the
area until authorized to do so by the Fire Chief or his duly authorized
representative.
B.
Interference with Fire Department operations. It shall
be unlawful to interfere with, attempt to interfere with, conspire
to interfere with, obstruct or restrict the mobility of or block the
path of travel of any Fire Department emergency vehicle in any way
or to interfere with, attempt to interfere with, conspire to interfere
with, obstruct or hamper any Fire Department operation.
C.
Vehicles crossing fire hose. A vehicle shall not be
driven or propelled over any unprotected fire hose of the Fire Department
when laid down on any street, alleyway, private drive or any other
vehicular roadway without the consent of the Fire Chief in command
of said operation.
D.
Operations of vehicles on approach of fire apparatus.
Upon the approach of any fire apparatus giving audible and visual
signal, the operator of every other vehicle shall immediately drive
the same to a position as near as possible and parallel to the right-hand
edge or curb of the street or roadway, clear of any intersection,
and shall stop and remain in such position until the fire apparatus
is passed, unless otherwise directed by the Fire Chief or a police
officer.
E.
Hydrant use approval. A person shall not use or operate
any fire hydrant intended for use by the Fire Department for fire
suppression purposes unless such person first secures approval for
such use from the Chief Fire Marshal.
[Amended 9-12-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-24; 4-9-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-07]
F.
Unlawful for vehicles to follow fire apparatus. It
shall be unlawful for the operator of any vehicle other than one on
official business to drive any vehicle within the block or immediate
area where fire apparatus has stopped and answered a fire alarm.
G.
Boarding of or tampering with emergency equipment
prohibited. A person shall not, without proper authorization from
the Fire Chief or his duly authorized representative in charge of
said Fire Department emergency equipment, cling to, attach himself
to, climb upon or into, board or swing upon any Fire Department vehicle,
whether the same is in motion or at rest, or sound the siren, horn,
bell or other sound-producing device thereon or manipulate or tamper
with any lever, valve, switch, starting device, brake, pump or any
other equipment or protective clothing on or a part of any Fire Department
emergency vehicle.
Any violation of any subsection of § 57-7 of this chapter shall be deemed a Class C violation as it is defined in the Hillsborough Code § 1-15. The violation of such subsection of this chapter shall constitute a separate and distinct offense independent of the violation of any other subsection or of any other order issued pursuant to this chapter. Each day of violation shall constitute an additional, separate and distinct offense.
