[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners
of the Village of Ridgefield Park 6-27-2000 by Ord. No. 00-8 (Ch.
41 of the 1985 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
A Length of Service Awards Program (LOSAP) is
hereby created in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-183 et seq., to
reward members of the Volunteer Fire Department, Rescue Squad and
Ambulance Corps for their loyal, diligent and devoted service to the
residents of the Village of Ridgefield Park.
The LOSAP shall provide for fixed annual contributions
to a deferred income account for each volunteer member that meets
the criteria set forth below; such contributions shall be made in
accordance with a plan that shall be established by the Village of
Ridgefield Park pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-183 et seq.; and 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.
The LOSAP shall provide for annual contributions
to each eligible member that meets the criteria as follows:
A.
Achieves minimum service levels to be eligible for
an annual contribution.
B.
Five years of service are required for vesting. Any
member who is not vested and whose services are terminated for any
reason shall forfeit their investment after one year unless the member
requests and receives a leave of absence from the Village. In the
event of such forfeiture, the funds shall be returned to the Village
of Ridgefield Park.
[Amended 8-11-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-02]
C.
The annual contribution shall be the maximum amount
permitted by law: $1,150 per eligible member.The maximum LOSAP contribution
shall be annually increased pursuant to the consumer price index (CPI)
to the maximum amount permitted by law.
[Amended 8-11-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-02]
The estimated cost of the program has been calculated
as $185,150 per year for regular annual services.
[Amended 8-8-2000 by Ord. No. 00-10]
Each active volunteer member shall be credited
for one year of volunteer service provided to the Fire Department,
Rescue Squad or Ambulance Corps upon complying with the minimum service
levels as outlined in the following schedules:
A.
Fire Department: Schedule A, Annual Service Requirements for Members of the Ridgefield Park Fire Department.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Schedule A is located at the
end of this chapter.
B.
Ambulance Corps: Schedule B, Annual Service Requirements for Members of the Ridgefield Park Volunteer Ambulance Corps.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Schedule B is located at the
end of this chapter.
C.
Rescue Squad: Schedule C, Annual Service Requirements for Members of the Ridgefield Park Rescue Squad.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Schedule C is located at the
end of this chapter.
Members who have provided continuous service
within their respective organizations since January 1, 1996, shall
be deemed qualified as having met the five years' participation requirement
of this program.
A.
Each participating emergency services organization
shall maintain all required records on forms prescribed by the LOSAP.
B.
Any member on medical leave of absence which is the
result of a line-of-duty injury may, with the approval of the Board
of Commissioners, receive full service credit during the time period
such leave has been approved. Such medical leave of absence shall
be, where required, supported by a physician's certification that
the member on medical leave cannot perform his/her ordinary duties
as a member of the Volunteer Fire Department, Ambulance Corps or Rescue
Squad.
A.
Each participating emergency services agency shall
furnish the Village of Ridgefield Park an annual certification list,
certified under oath, of all volunteer members, which shall identify
those active volunteer members who have qualified for credit under
the award program for the previous year. This list shall be submitted
annually. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a volunteer
member may request that the member's name be deleted from the list
as a participant in the Length of Service Awards Program. A request
for deletion shall be in writing and shall remain effective until
withdrawn in the same manner.
B.
The Village of Ridgefield Park shall review the annual
certification list of each participating emergency service organization
and approve the final annual certification. The approved list of active
certified volunteer members shall then be returned to each participating
emergency service organization and posted for at least 30 days for
review by the members. A copy of the list shall also be kept on file
with the Village Clerk's office. The emergency service organization
shall provide any information concerning the annual certification
list that the Village of Ridgefield Park shall require as part of
its review.
This chapter took effect January 1, 2001, after
approval by the voters at the general election held November 7, 2001.
Any amounts appropriated annually for the LOSAP
shall be included in the budget of the Village of Ridgefield Park
as a separate line item.
