[Adopted 7-6-1967 as Ch. 31, Art. I, of the 1967 Code (12-3-1931); amended in its entirety 11-27-2023 by Ord. No. 419-2023]
The River Vale Volunteer Fire Department shall hereafter be, at all times, under the control and supervision and subject to the orders of the Township Council of the Township of River Vale, as hereinafter provided.
Upon the annual organization of the Township Council, the Township Council shall appoint a Fire Chief and a Deputy Fire Chief, each to serve for the ensuing year, unless or until disqualified by the expiration of his office, resignation, or death or unless removed for cause.
Removal of either the Chief or Deputy Chief shall be effected by a majority vote of the Township Council members.
The Fire Chief shall have, in accordance with the overall missions and goals of the Township Council, full and complete control over and direction of the equipment and personnel of said Fire Department. In his absence or inability to serve, all his powers and duties shall be assumed by the Deputy Fire Chief.
It shall be the duty of the Fire Chief to report at each meeting of the Township Council upon the activities of his Department and to make recommendations looking to its general efficiency and welfare.
To assist the Chief and Deputy Chief in their work, there is hereby established in and for the Township, a Board of Fire Officers, consisting of the officers of the Fire Department. The Chief and Deputy Chief shall be ex officio members of this Board.
There shall be held annually one official inspection of the Fire Department by the Township Council, with said inspection held at such time as determined by the Board of Fire Officers.
It shall be the duty of an assigned officer of the Board of Fire Officers, who shall be selected by the Board, to keep a complete roll of the active and exempt members of the Fire Department, designating their date of admission, age, occupation, residence, resignation, and the respective company to which they belong.
No person except the members of the Township Council, the Mayor, the Business Administrator, and janitors of the building shall be allowed to enter any firehouse unless accompanied by an active member of the Department.
A. 
Exemption certificates will be granted to those members of the Fire Department who have served the time prescribed by law. Members will not be granted exemption certificates unless they have served the required time and have also performed the yearly fire duty required of them for a period equal in years to the number of years required by the laws of the State of New Jersey before exemption will be granted.
B. 
Certificates will be ordered by the Township Council upon recommendation of the Chief, the Fire Chief and Board of Fire Officers and will be signed by the Mayor and attested by the Township Clerk. The time served and the average membership must be certified by the Township Clerk.
All of the equipment of said Department and all fire apparatus is hereby taken over by and declared to be the property of the Township, and in payment therefor the Township Council hereby agrees to pay the present River Vale Volunteer Fire Department, Chemical Co. No. 1 (a body corporate), of the Township of River Vale $650, which amount is hereby appropriated for such purpose, and to raise said amount the Township is hereby authorized to negotiate and sell its notes and bonds for such sum payable as permitted by law.