[Adopted 6-14-2021 by Ord. No. 21-13]
There shall be a Division of Fire Suppression within the Department
of Public Safety.
The Division of Fire Suppression shall be composed of four departments
to be known as:
A. Company No. 1 - Vernon Township Fire Department.
B. Company No. 2 - McAfee Fire Department.
C. Company No. 3 - Highland Lakes Fire Department.
D. Company No. 4 - Pochuck Valley Fire Department.
Any member aggrieved by any disciplinary action or denial of
membership by a volunteer fire company shall be entitled to an appeal
from that decision, which must be filed within 30 days of the action
taken by the fire company to the Fire Chiefs Association. On appeal,
the aggrieved party shall be entitled to a full due process hearing,
with said hearing being stenographically transcribed. Within 45 days
of said hearing, the Fire Chiefs Association shall issue a written
decision with regard to said appeal and so advise to the Fire Commissioner
and Deputy Commissioner. At that time, the Fire Commissioner and Deputy
Fire Commissioner will review the transcript of the hearing and submit
the decision of the Fire Chiefs Association to the Mayor. The Mayor
shall, based upon the record of the hearing and the decision of the
Fire Chiefs Association, act on the decision of the appeal.
The Fire Chiefs Association shall be recognized in the Township
as the Firefighter's Board of Directors to coordinate the day-to-day
operations, finances, and equipment maintenance for the volunteer
fire companies in the Township. The Fire Chiefs Association shall
be made up of all current and ex-chiefs and deputy/assistant chiefs.
All members of the Chiefs Association may attend meetings but only
current chiefs and deputies/assistants, or their designee, shall vote
on Association business. The bylaws of the Fire Chiefs Association
must be passed by Township Council resolution and then be on file
in the Township Clerk's office.
A. Each department will be in charge of their yearly operating budget
which will be 1/4 of the total reimbursement from the Township.
B. A yearly capital budget will be prepared by the Fire Chiefs Association
and presented by the Fire Commissioner to the Mayor and Vernon Township
Council.
[Adopted 8-8-2023 by Ord. No. 23-17]
A Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP) is herewith in accordance
with Chapter 388 of the Laws of 1997, to reward members of the volunteer
firefighting/first aid organizations for their loyal, diligent, and
devoted services to the residents of the Township of Vernon.
The LOSAP shall provide for fixed annual contributions to a
deferred income account for each volunteer member that meets the criteria
set forth below; that such contributions shall be made in accordance
with a plan that shall be established by the Township of Vernon pursuant
to P.L. 1997, c. 388; and that such plan shall be administered in
accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, the U.S. Internal
Revenue Code, and this ordinance.
The LOSAP shall provide for annual contributions to each eligible
member that meets the criteria as per the attached schedules.
The estimated cost of the program has been calculated as follows:
A. For regular annual services: $75,000 per year for the Fire Departments.
B. For regular annual services: $45,000 per year for the Emergency Medical
Services Departments.
Each active volunteer member shall be credited with points for
volunteer services provided to the volunteer Fire/Emergency Medical
Services organization in accordance with the attached schedules.
That this article shall not take effect unless it is approved
by voters as a public question at the next general election.