[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Washington 8-21-2000 by Ord. No. 21-00. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire Department — See Ch. 13.
A Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP) is herewith created in accordance with Chapter 388 of the Laws of 1997,[1] to reward active volunteer members of the Township of Washington Fire Department and Long Valley First Aid Squad for their loyal, diligent and devoted services to the residents of the Township of Washington.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40A:14-183 et seq.
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 Washington 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 United States Internal Revenue Code and this chapter.
[Amended 7-18-2005 by Ord. No. 25-05; 9-18-2023 by Ord. No. 12-23; 9-15-2025 by Ord. No. 14-25]
A. 
The LOSAP shall provide for annual contributions to each eligible member that meets the following criteria each calendar year January 1 through December 31:
Points
Amount
64 or greater
$1,500*
50 to 64
$750**
0 to 49 points
$0
Annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments shall be made by resolution in accordance with guidance by the New Jersey Department of Community affairs, Division of Local Government Services.
NOTES:
*As a threshold qualification, in the case of a member of the Fire Department, a minimum of 25 points must be earned in the "Participation in Fire Company Responses" category, while in the case of a First Aid Squad member, a minimum of 10 points must be earned in the "Incident Response" category.
**As a threshold qualification, in the case of a member of the Fire Department, a minimum of 15 points must be earned in the "Participation in Fire Company Responses" category, while in the case of a First Aid Squad member, a minimum of 10 points must be earned in the "Incident Responses" category.
B. 
Criteria for Rescue Team eligibility each January 1 through December 31:
Points
Amount
45 or greater
$500*
35 to 44
$250*
0 to 34 points
$0
Annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments shall be made by resolution in accordance with guidance by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Local Government Services.
NOTES:
*
As a threshold qualification, a minimum of 10 points must be earned in the "Incident Response" category and 12 points in the "Drill" category.
A Long Valley First Aid Squad ("LVFAS") Rescue Team member who qualifies for a Rescue LOSAP award and is also an active LVFAS EMT member who qualifies for an LVFAS LOSAP award may combine the awards for a total not to exceed $1,500. If an active volunteer member requests credit for service in more than one volunteer participating emergency service organization, each such emergency service organization shall provide a certification for the appropriate number of years. That credit may be awarded at the discretion of the sponsoring agency of the plan in which the volunteer member seeks to apply the credit. In no event, however, shall a participant be credited for the same year of active emergency service in more than one service award program.
An LVFAS Rescue Team member who qualifies for a Rescue LOSAP award and is also an active Washington Township firefighter who qualifies for a Fire Company LOSAP award may combine the awards for a total not to exceed $1,500. If an active volunteer member requests credit for service in more than one volunteer participating emergency service organization, each such emergency service organization shall provide a certification for the appropriate number of years. That credit may be awarded at the discretion of the sponsoring agency of the plan in which the volunteer member seeks to apply the credit. In no event, however, shall a participant be credited for the same year of active emergency service in more than one service award program.
A member cannot obtain multiple credits for the same call or drill. The credit must be designated as applying to Rescue, EMS or Fire.
The LOSAP shall provide for contributions as credit for no more than one year of prior (calendar year 2000) service for each eligible volunteer in accordance with the schedule set forth in § 17-3.
The estimated cost of the program has been calculated as follows:
A. 
For regular annual services: $60,950 per year.
B. 
For contributions for prior year service: $60,950 per year for one year.
Each volunteer member certified by the fire officers to be an active member of the fire company for the applicable calendar year shall be credited annually, on December 31, with points for volunteer services provided to the Township of Washington Fire Department in accordance with the following schedule:
A. 
Training courses: 25 points maximum.
(1) 
Less than 20 hours' duration: two points per hour, with a maximum of 10 points.
(2) 
Courses of 20 to 45 hours' duration: 10 points per course.
(3) 
Courses over 45 hours' duration: 15 points per course.
B. 
Drills: 36 points maximum.
(1) 
Two points per drill, minimum two hours per drill.
C. 
Elected or appointed positions: 15 points maximum.
(1) 
Completion of one-year term as a company line officer: 10 points.
(2) 
Completion of one-year term as a company executive officer (Company President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary): five points.
(3) 
Completion of one-year term as a Department officer: five points.
D. 
Attendance at meetings: 12 points maximum.
(1) 
Attendance at any official meeting of the fire company: one point each meeting.
E. 
Participation in fire company responses: 35 points maximum for responding annually (physical response to incident required for credit) to the following number of fire-related incidents that occurred in the calendar year for the applicable fire company:
(1) 
At least 15% but less than 25% of fire calls: 15 points.
(2) 
At least 25% but less than 35% of fire calls: 25 points.
(3) 
At least 35% or greater: 35 points.
F. 
Miscellaneous: 10 points maximum.
(1) 
Participation in inspections, formal fund-raising and other activities not otherwise listed: one point per activity.
[Amended 11-19-2001 by Ord. No. 34-01; 9-15-2025 by Ord. No. 14-25]
Each volunteer member certified by the line officers as an active member of the Long Valley First Aid Squad for the applicable calendar year shall be credited annually, on December 31, with points for volunteer services provided to the Long Valley First Aid Squad in accordance with the following schedule:
A. 
Training courses: 24 points maximum.
(1) 
Less than 20 hours' duration: one point per hour, with a maximum of five points.
(2) 
Courses of 20 to 45 hours' duration: one point per hour for each hour over initial 20 hours, with a maximum of 10 points.
(3) 
Courses over 45 hours' duration: 15 points per course.
B. 
Drills: 36 points maximum.
(1) 
Two points per drill, minimum two-hour drill.
(2) 
For Subsection B of this section only, Rescue members must attend at least 50% of all scheduled Rescue drills for the calendar year to qualify for LOSAP points (minimum 12 points).
C. 
Standbys and nonemergency transportations: 10 points maximum.
(1) 
Standby approved by the Chief, lasting two or more hours, not falling under one of the other categories: one point each.
(2) 
A prearranged nonemergency transportation, lasting a minimum of one hour: one point each.
D. 
Elected or appointed positions: 15 points maximum.
(1) 
Completion of one-year term as a squad line officer: 10 points.
(2) 
Completion of one-year term as a squad executive officer (Squad President, Vice President, Treasurer, Vice Treasurer and Secretary): five points.
(3) 
Completion of one-year term as the Squad Vehicle Maintenance Coordinator or Oxygen Coordinator: five points.
(4) 
For Subsection D of this section only, Rescue members may obtain a maximum of 10 points for officers' positions as follows: elected position: Rescue Captain and Rescue Lieutenant: 10 points; appointed position: Rescue Sergeant: five points.
E. 
Attendance at meetings: 12 points maximum (EMT only).
(1) 
Attendance at any official meetings of the First Aid Squad: one point per meeting.
F. 
Incident responses: 35 points maximum (EMT only).
(1) 
Points.
(a) 
At least 5%, but less than 15%, of emergency calls per calendar year: 10 points.
(b) 
At least 15%, but less than 20%, of emergency calls per calendar year: 20 points.
(c) 
At least 20%, but less than 25%, of emergency calls per calendar year: 30 points.
(d) 
At least 25% or greater of emergency calls per calendar year: 35 points.
(2) 
For the purposes of Subsection F of this section only, a period of duty time (that period of time from 9:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. when a member is on call or a daytime TBD weekly shift of eight hours) shall be the equivalent of a response to 1/2 of an emergency call if, during the duty time, a member is not required to respond to an emergency call.
(3) 
For the purposes of Subsection F of this section only, incident responses for the Rescue Team: 20 points maximum.
(a) 
At least 30%, but less than 35%, of rescue calls per calendar year: 10 points.
(b) 
At least 35%, but less than 40%, of rescue calls per calendar year: 15 points.
(c) 
At least 40% or greater of rescue calls per calendar year: 20 points.
G. 
Miscellaneous: 10 points maximum.
(1) 
Participation in other activities not otherwise listed: one point per activity.
This chapter shall take effect immediately upon final passage and publication as required by law and upon approval by the voters as a public question at the next general election.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Ordinance No. 21-00 was approved at the general election held November 7, 2000.