[Adopted 11-16-1976 by Ord. No. 13-761; amended in its entirety 12-17-2001 by Ord. No. 18-2001]
[Amended 10-17-2005 by Ord. No. 17-2005]
The Fire Department shall consist of a Chief,
an Assistant Chief (to be known as the Chief Officers), maximum of
four dispatchers, and a maximum of three companies of 15 fire fighters
each, to be known as Ladder Company 1, Engine Company 2, and Rescue
Company 3. The duties of the companies and their personnel shall be
such as shall be designated and determined from time to time by the
Chief or, in his absence, the Assistant Chief.
There may be established under this article
such additional companies and staffing levels as may be deemed necessary
by the Chief Officers in conjunction with the Mayor and Council.
The following qualifications shall be necessary
for appointment as a fire fighter or dispatcher, but no active fire
fighter or dispatcher now in good standing shall be debarred from
further active membership in the reorganized Department. An applicant
must:
A.
Be a citizen of the United States.
B.
Be a resident or employed in the Borough of Riverdale.
Applicants who do not meet this requirement will be eligible for membership
if they reside or are employed in a municipality bordering the Borough
of Riverdale and commit to remain an active member for a period of
at least two years. However, if a member no longer meets the requirements
of this subsection he/she can remain a member it he/she continues
to maintain no less than a 40% attendance record. In addition, any
member of the Fire Department not a resident of the Borough of Riverdale
shall be eligible to hold any office excluding Chief or Assistant
Chief of the Fire Department.
[Amended 10-21-2013 by Ord. No. 14-2013]
C.
Be not less than 18 nor more than 45 years of age.
Notwithstanding this subsection, applicants over 45 years of age may
be considered for appointment to the Fire Department. No such appointment
shall become effective, however, until it shall have received the
approval of the Mayor and Council.
D.
Obtain approval from either the health care provider
of the Borough of Riverdale, or another state-licensed medical provider,
that the applicant is physically fit to perform the duties of a fire
fighter.
E.
Have their application data verified by the Riverdale
Police Department.
The procedure for membership in the Fire Department
shall be in accordance with N.J.A.C. 13:12-1.1. Upon completion of
the application, and election by the Fire Department membership, the
Chief shall forward the application to the Mayor and Council for approval.
Once approved the Fire Chief will assign the member to one of the
companies in the Department. Should any fire fighter at any time desire
to change to another company, he shall submit request for same in
writing to the Chief of the Fire Department; said change may be made
at the pleasure of the Chief upon his consultation with the Assistant
Chief and company Captains involved. In addition, the Chief is empowered
to change a fire fighter from one company to another, as he deems
necessary and proper.
A.
Every member of the Fire Department before being admitted
to full membership in the Fire Department shall serve a probationary
period in the Fire Department. The probationary period shall last
for a minimum of six months or the completion of the below requirements.
During the fire fighter probationary period the member is required
to:
C.
Upon successful completion of the probationary period,
the member shall receive a dress uniform which shall be the property
of the Fire Department until such time as the member has reached exempt
status with the Riverdale Fire Department. At that time the uniform
becomes the property of the member.
Any fire fighter who in the judgment of a duly
licensed physician in the State of New Jersey is now or shall become
physically or mentally unfit for fire duty is or shall be automatically
placed on restricted duty on the date of his becoming unfit. Said
fire fighter may, upon presenting a certificate of a duly licensed
physician stating that said physical and emotional condition has been
corrected and that he is once again physically and emotionally fit,
by the Chief be reinstated to active duty. A copy of the certificate
shall be forwarded to the Borough Clerk to be kept on file.
A.
There are two classifications of members within the
Fire Department: active and life members. The definitions and requirements
are described below:
(1)
Active. An active member is an individual that maintains
40% attendance of fires, drills and meetings. If at the end of the
year, an individual has fallen below 40%, they will be notified that
they have three months to improve their attendance or lose their active
status.
(2)
Life. When an active member who has at least seven
years of service loses their active status they automatically become
a life member. When an active member who has less than seven years
of service loses their active status they become inactive and may
be requested to resign from the Fire Department.
B.
Any previous member who has not been active for more
that one year that wishes to return to active duty shall apply to
the Council for reinstatement. The Council shall pass upon his application
the same as heretofore provided.
C.
In order to maintain an accurate accounting of the
members of the Fire Department, a roster of active members must be
submitted to the Borough Clerk annually by the Chief.
A.
In order to nominate an individual for office, and
to be eligible to vote in an election, you must be an active member
and have maintained a 40% attendance at fires, drills and meetings
in the year of the election.
B.
In order to be nominated for a firematic office a
member must have the following qualifications:
C.
During their term, all officers must maintain 60%
attendance for fires, drills and meetings. In addition they must meet
any requirements agreed to at the annual Fire Department reorganization
meeting. The percentages will be reviewed twice a year and if any
officer's percentage is less than 60% they will be asked to resign
their position.
The Chief and Assistant Chief shall be elected
by the members of the Fire Department, for two-year terms, at the
annual meeting which shall be held on the second Monday of December
at 8:00 p.m. at the Fire Headquarters, said election to be subject
to the approval of the Borough Council at its next organizational
meeting. In the event that the Council shall fail or refuse to approve
either or both elections, its action shall be reported to the Fire
Department in writing by the Borough Clerk with the reasons for said
members at 8:00 p.m. within one week of the date of said Council rejection
for the purpose of electing others to the offices which are the subject
of said rejection. In the event that the person or persons elected
at this subsequent meeting is/are not approved by the Borough Council
at its next regular meeting, the Council shall not later than the
next following meeting make the necessary appointment or appointments
to fill the vacancy or vacancies caused by said Council's disapproval
and such officers so appointed shall hold office until the next annual
meeting of the Fire Department.
The Department shall elect a President, Vice President, Secretary, Financial Secretary and Treasurer as required by fire company bylaws (§ 26-11).
[Amended 10-17-2005 by Ord. No. 17-2005]
The members of the entire Department shall,
at the same meeting, elect three company Captains and three company
First Lieutenants from all members eligible for nomination for a term
of two years each. The Captains may appoint up to two engineers to
assist them with maintenance of their apparatus.
The term of all firematic officers will begin
on December 31st at 6:00 p.m. To ensure a smooth and orderly transition
of command of the Fire Department, the outgoing officers are required
to turn over all equipment including, but not limited to, keys, radios,
pagers, and vehicles to the incoming officers by 6:00 p.m. of the
last day of the term (December 31st).
All vacancies in staff or company officers shall be filled by election at the next monthly meeting for the unexpired term in the same manner as staff and company officers are elected at the annual meeting as set forth in §§ 26-7, 26-8 and 26-9 above. If the act of filling a vacancy creates another vacancy, the new vacancy can be filled at the same meeting.
The corporate government shall abide by the
constitution and bylaws of the Riverdale Volunteer Fire Company Inc.
that are on file at the Fire Headquarters.
A.
It shall be the duty of all fire fighters, as soon
as alarm is transmitted, to proceed to Fire Headquarters, staff their
apparatus, and respond to the location of the alarm, unless otherwise
directed by the incident commander. No members shall be released without
the permission of the incident commander. The person in charge of
each apparatus shall ensure it is ready for immediate use upon its
return to Fire Headquarters before any personnel are released.
B.
It shall also be the duty of all officers and fire
fighters who have knowledge of the defective condition of any part
of the apparatus or fire hydrants to report the condition at once
to one of the Chiefs. They will in turn make the proper notifications
to the Chairman of the Fire Committee of the Council and/or the Borough
Mechanic.
C.
It shall be the duty of all life members who report
to Fire Headquarters in response to an alarm, and who are not listed
on the active fire fighters roster, to report to the incident commander,
for the purpose of supporting the incident commander. These men shall
be known as Fire Marshals.
The Chief and Assistant Chief, Captains and Lieutenants in the order of their rank as designated in § 26-19 shall have charge of the fire fighters and the apparatus while actually engaged in active fire duty, while on parade or inspection, or when employed in drills, and it shall be their duty to see that all apparatus is returned to Fire Headquarters on each occasion, properly placed back into service, and available to respond to an alarm.
It shall be the duty of the Chief to report
monthly in writing to the Council at its regular meeting the activities
of the Fire Department during that month including, but not limited
to, the number of alarms, items purchased, injuries, training, equipment
maintenance, major activities, upcoming activities, and to make at
that time such recommendation as will in his opinion make for the
efficiency and betterment of the Department.
Any member or officer of the Department subject
to the rules and regulations thereof in connection with a fire may
remove any tangible personal property involved therein and hold such
property for the owner. The members and officers of the Department,
during the continuance of the fire, shall have the powers of a peace
officer and may apprehend or arrest without warrant any person interfering
with the removal or custody of such property. Any such person so apprehended
or arrested shall be brought before the Municipal Court or any other
court of competent jurisdiction, to be dealt with according to law.
The Fire Chief, Assistant Chief and Captains
of the three companies of the Fire Department are hereby designated
as the Board of Fire Officers, said Board to have such duties and
responsibilities as shall be set forth in the following section and
in addition thereto to be empowered, in the interim between Council
meetings, to make such emergency repairs or replacements to equipment
and the fire apparatus as may be necessary to keep it up to the highest
standard of efficiency.
A.
Any fire fighter or officer who, while on duty at
any fire, drill, parade or inspection, shall refuse or neglect to
obey or execute any orders from the officer in charge, or who having
knowledge of the defective condition of any part of the apparatus,
fire hydrants or equipment, shall fail to report the condition at
once to one of the Chiefs, or who shall violate the constitution,
bylaws, rules or regulations of the Department of this article shall
be subject to reduction in rank, suspension or expulsion from the
Department as decided by the Board of Fire Officers.
B.
Any person having knowledge of any act of misconduct
as set forth in the preceding subsection of any fire fighter or officer
shall, within 30 days of the alleged offense, file charges with the
Fire Chief who shall immediately and in writing notify the fire fighter
or officer so charged. Not less than five days following receipt of
said notice by the person so charged, the charges shall be heard by
the Board of Fire Officers, as herein before constituted, at a meeting
called for the purpose, at which time the person or persons making
the charges, together with their witnesses, if any, shall present
the charges, and the fire fighter or officer charged shall, together
with his witnesses, if any, be permitted to enter his defense. Said
Board of Fire Officers shall have the right to dismiss the charges
or to reduce in rank, suspend or expel the person charged, whichever
they shall deem to be equitable and just and for the best interest
of the Department.
C.
Any disciplinary action by said Board of Fire Officers
resulting in reduction in rank, suspension or expulsion of the person
charged shall be subject to review of the Council at its next regular
meeting, and the parties to the action, together with their witnesses,
shall have the right to appear at said meeting to be heard.
D.
In the event of the nonappearance of the person charged
or in the event the decision of the Board of Fire Officers is affirmed
on appeal, the Council may confirm the action taken by the Board of
Fire Officers or may modify the penalty or penalties imposed by said
Board in such manner as they shall deem most equitable and just and
in the best interest of the Department; in the event the Council shall
reverse the findings of said Board as to any charge or charges, said
charge or charges shall forthwith be dismissed.
Any officer may call a drill for practice, for
one or more companies, whenever he deems it necessary, but no apparatus
shall be taken from Fire Headquarters for drill purposes without the
consent of a member of the Board of Fire Officers.
The Fire Chief shall be in command of the Department.
In his absence, the following chain of command shall be followed.
A.
All fire-fighting apparatus used in the Borough of
Riverdale is to be solely the property of the Borough and subject
to the jurisdiction of the Borough Council. Prior to using any personal
fire-fighting equipment or gear, the fire fighter must obtain approval
from a member of the Board of Fire Officers.
B.
Except in response to the fire alarms, or to participate in parades approved by the Council or for drills conducted subject to the provisions of § 26-18 hereinabove, no apparatus shall be taken from its respective place of deposit without the consent of the Chief or Assistant Chief. In the event the fire alarm is sounded in request to giving aid to a neighboring town, the first officer present or, in the absence of an officer, the senior fire fighter present may give the order to go out of town, with any men or equipment needed for the purpose of giving assistance to a neighboring town.
C.
Apparatus and fire fighters responding to alarms outside
the limits of the Borough become subject to all rules regulations
as though the fire were within the Borough.
D.
In no event shall any apparatus or equipment be taken
outside the confines of the Borough for any purpose other than to
aid in fighting a fire in a neighboring community unless approved
by the Chief or Assistant Chief. Prior to giving approval, the Chiefs
must first ensure there is adequate coverage within the Borough, and
if not, arrange for adequate coverage from a neighboring community.
E.
Only members of the Fire Department, Ladies Auxiliary,
or Exempt Association shall be permitted to ride on or to handle any
apparatus belonging to the Borough of Riverdale, except in the case
of an emergency for maintenance purposes.
F.
No person or persons shall be allowed in the firehouse
unless accompanied by or authorized by any fire fighter, except fire
fighters or Borough employees. No organization other than the Fire
Department, Exempt Association or the Fire Department Auxiliary shall
be permitted to use the firehouse unless approved by the Mayor and
Council after checking for availability with the President of the
fire company.
G.
Any fire fighter causing damage to any Borough property
may be held responsible for said damage to the Borough Council and
may be dismissed, suspended or reduced in rank upon complaint brought
by the Chief, other officers or any member of the Borough Council.
H.
The Chairman of the Fire Committee of the Borough
Council shall at all times be in charge of all apparatus, equipment
and buildings housing said apparatus and shall communicate the Council's
decisions and directions as it relates to Borough equipment to the
Fire Department through the Chief or ranking officer in charge.
The governing body of the Borough of Riverdale
may by resolution appropriate and pay each year to any active volunteer
fire fighter doing public fire duty under the control or supervision
of the governing body such sum as in the judgment of the governing
body will be sufficient to cover any losses incurred by him in attending
upon fires in the municipality under and within which he may be doing
public fire duty. The Municipal Clerk shall keep a true and complete
list of the active volunteer fire fighters of the Borough.
A.
There shall be paid to each and every fire fighter
doing public fire duty, as of the first day of December in each year,
the following sums based upon the schedule hereinafter enumerated
to cover any losses that they and each of them may incur in attending
drills, parades and upon putting out fires and other necessary duties.
The attendance period will be November 1 of the previous year to and
including October 31 of the current year.
|
Attendance
(percent)
|
Amount
| |
|---|---|---|
|
30 to 39
|
$65
| |
|
40 to 49
|
$80
| |
|
50 to 59
|
$90
| |
|
60 to 65
|
$100
| |
|
66 to 70
|
$130
| |
|
71 to 75
|
$165
| |
|
76 to 100
|
$200
|
B.
Any fire fighters doing public fire duty and having
a percentage in attendance of less than 30% shall be compensated at
the rate of $1 per percentage point achieved.
C.
Any member who shall have been in attendance and performed
his duties as a fire fighter in a given year for a period from zero
up to three months shall receive 25% of the amount set forth in the
above schedule of payment based upon the actual period served.
D.
Any member who shall have been in attendance and performed
his duties as a fire fighter in a given year for a period of three
up to six months shall receive 50% of the amount set forth in the
above schedule of payment based upon the actual period served.
E.
Any member who shall have been in attendance and performed
his duties as a fire fighter in a given year for a period from six
up to nine months shall receive 75% of the amount set forth in the
above schedule of payment based upon the actual period served.
F.
Any member who shall have been in attendance and performed
his duties as fire fighter in a given year for a period from nine
up to 12 months shall receive 100% of the amount set forth in the
above schedule of payment based upon the actual period served.
The commencement of any fire fighter's term
shall be effective as of the first day of the month that he is accepted
as a member of the Fire Department by the Mayor and Council.
On the 15th day of November of each year the Chief and Secretary of the Department shall certify to the Council a list of members of the Department who have attended to their duties as fire fighters in order that the true amount of compensation each fire fighter is entitled to in accordance with the schedule set forth in the preceding § 26-22A may be ascertained.
Any member who resigns, becomes inactive, or
is expelled from the Fire Department is required to return all Fire
Department property or equipment within seven days of leaving the
Department. Failure to do so will result in the matter being turned
over to the Mayor and Council for resolution.
