Fire Company No. 1 shall be composed of not
more than 75 active members. Fire Company No. 2 shall be composed
of not more than 75 active members.
All new members to a department shall serve
a probationary period for one year. During this period and at the
conclusion thereof, each probationary member shall be evaluated solely
by the officers of the company who supervise him in the performance
of his duties. They may cause the dismissal of any member during his
probationary period only for failure to perform the established duties
of a probationary member in a reasonably satisfactory manner or other
good cause and may do so by notifying the probationary member, in
writing, of his rejection and the particular reasons therefor. At
the end of the probationary period, said supervising officers shall
determine whether or not the applicant has satisfactorily performed
the duties of probationary member. If he has, they shall promptly
recommend to the membership that he be admitted to full membership,
and their recommendations shall be binding on the company and he shall
be so admitted forthwith. If he has not, they shall promptly notify
the probationary member, in writing, of his rejection and the particular
reasons therefor. No vote of the membership shall be conducted on
the issue of whether any probationary member shall continue as a probationary
member or shall be admitted to full membership.
[Amended 11-13-2013 by Ord. No. 17-13]
Every active member of the Jefferson Township Fire Department
shall in each and every year maintain a percentage of at least 50%
of fires and drills combined. After seven years of maintaining 50%,
said member shall become state exempt and shall be allowed to maintain
30% of fires and drills combined. Each company shall maintain a record
of attendance of each member and shall report the same to the Director
of Public Safety annually.
[Amended 12-19-2001 by Ord. No. 44-01]
Each company shall have a Chief, Assistant Chief,
Captain, Lieutenant, Engineers and a Safety Officer in accordance
with company bylaws. A Symbolic Department Chief shall be designated
each year and will rotate between both companies each year. The Department
Chief shall have no command duties over the fire company he is not
a member of. All officers shall be in compliance with IMS certifications
requirement as per N.J.A.C. 5:73-1.6(b)(c).
Each company shall, during the month of December,
elect for the ensuing year such officers. All officers shall be subject
to the directions of the Director of Public Safety and their respective
Company Chief.
The Chief of the appropriate responding company
in whose district an emergency is contained shall assume command of
such emergency. In the absence of the Company Chief, its command shall
devolve upon and its duties shall be performed by the Assistant Chief
or, in the absence of both, the next ranking officer of the respective
company shall assume command. In the absence of all ranking officers,
the senior member of the appropriate responding fire company in whose
district the emergency is contained shall assume command of such emergency.
[Amended 9-14-2021 by Ord. No. 21-22; 4-19-2023 by Ord. No. 23-06]
Except as otherwise provided under New Jersey
Title 40A, any member may be suspended or terminated for violation
of this chapter by the Director of Public Safety. Additionally, any
member may be suspended or terminated for violations of respective
company bylaws or company or department policy upon recommendation
and advice of their respective Company Chief. All suspensions or terminations
shall be reported, in writing, to the Director of Public Safety. A
member that is terminated will not be permitted to apply for membership
for any emergency service volunteer organization in the Township of
Jefferson. Member appeals for termination may be brought to the Township
Council within 30 days of termination.
An application shall be made to either Fire
Company No. 1 or No. 2 within the Township, and the rules and regulations
for the conduct of such junior firemen and the use of the firemen
shall be adopted by the respective fire companies.