[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Wood-Ridge 4-7-2021 by Ord. No. 2021-7.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance was originally adopted as Ch. 52, but was renumbered for organizational purposes.
[Amended 11-30-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-11]
A. 
There shall be an organization known as the "Wood-Ridge Emergency Squad" to respond to the emergency medical needs of residents and visitors of the Borough of Wood-Ridge and other mutual aid municipalities.
B. 
The Mayor and Borough Council may determine that it is in the best interest of protecting the health and safety of the public to engage an alternative service to respond to the emergency medical needs of residents and visitors of the Borough of Wood-Ridge. Said alternative service may include, on either a full-time or part-time basis:
(1) 
An interlocal services agreement or shared services agreement with the County of Bergen.
(2) 
An interlocal services agreement or shared services agreement with one or more other municipalities.
(3) 
A contractual agreement with a private ambulance service licensed by the State of New Jersey.
(4) 
A contractual agreement with a hospital or medical center licensed by the State of New Jersey to provide basic life support and ambulance services.
C. 
In the event that the above § 42-1B is implemented on a full-time basis by the Mayor and Borough Council, then, on the date that the alternative service provider commences services in the Borough, the Wood-Ridge Emergency Squad shall cease operations and be abolished and all other provisions of this chapter shall be null and void.
The Emergency Squad shall consist of not more than 50 members, including the following line officers in order of rank and precedence: one Captain, one First Lieutenant, and no more than three Second Lieutenants. The Squad may also include any such number of preview, trainee, probationary, auxiliary, associate, honorary, retired, or exempt members as determined by the Board of Officers and approved by the Mayor and Council.
A. 
The Captain shall be the Commanding Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of the Squad. The Captain shall be responsible for the operational and administrative management of the Emergency Squad and shall report, through the Borough Administrator, to the Mayor and shall be directly responsible, through the Borough Administrator, to the Mayor and Council for the day-to-day operations of the Squad, the supervision and discipline of its personnel and the management and maintenance of its property and equipment.
B. 
In the absence or incapacity of the Captain, all the operational and administrative responsibilities and powers of the Captain shall be exercised by the First Lieutenant. In the case of the absence or incapacity of both the Captain and First Lieutenant during an incident requiring the Squad's response, the senior most Second Lieutenant present shall assume control of the incident. In the case of the absence or incapacity of all line officers, an ex-Captain or ex-Lieutenant shall perform all the duties of the Captain until relieved upon arrival of a line officer.
A. 
The internal government and management of the Squad shall be according to such constitution, rules and bylaws as may be adopted by the members of the Squad and approved by the Mayor and Council, as well as any policies and/or procedures either adopted by the Mayor and Council or implemented by the Borough Administrator. All members of the Squad shall have the status of Borough employees for purposes of personnel policies and procedures as required either by law and/or the Borough's insurance coverage.
B. 
To assist the Captain and line officers in the orderly and efficient operation of the Squad, administrative officers may be elected, which shall consist of a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers as may be established by the Board of Officers. The Captain and Lieutenants shall be considered to be both line and administrative officers.
C. 
The members of the Squad shall meet at least monthly, and the Captain shall be the presiding officer at all meetings. In the absence of the Captain, the next line officer, in order of rank and precedence, who is present shall preside. The Captain shall report at least monthly to the Mayor or, if he or she so designates, the Borough Administrator or Chairperson of the Council Fire and Emergency Services Committee on the activities and condition of the Emergency Squad, including its personnel, equipment, and facilities.
The Board of Officers shall consist of all line officers and administrative officers of the Squad and shall meet at least monthly. The Captain and First Lieutenant shall serve as Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, respectively, of the Board. All officers shall perform such duties as assigned by the Captain and shall prepare and submit reports of their activities for the month at the Board meeting. Required reports shall include, at a minimum:
A. 
A report of the Squad's service, training, and response activities for the month;
B. 
A report of the members' credited service for the month; and
C. 
A report of all personnel actions and membership changes including elections, suspensions, transfers, resignations, and retirements of members for the month.
The Captain and officers of the Emergency Squad shall be elected annually, in a manner prescribed by the Squad's bylaws, by the members of the Squad. All officers must be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Borough Council, and shall serve for a one-year term, from January 1 to December 31, or until their successors are qualified and take office. Any vacancy in any office shall be filled via an election for the remainder of the unexpired term. Notification of the election, resignation, suspension, or termination of any officer shall be made within five days to the Borough Clerk, who shall forward the same to the Mayor and Council. All officers shall be sworn in by the Mayor, or his or her designee, in January of each year, or in the case of filling a vacancy, within 10 days of their election.
A. 
Candidates for membership in the Emergency Squad shall be evaluated and selected in a manner prescribed by the Board of Officers. The names and addresses of all newly selected Members shall be forwarded to the Borough Clerk, who shall place said names on the agenda of the next Council Meeting for consideration for appointment by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Borough Council. Notification of the transfer, resignation, suspension, or termination of any member shall be made within 10 days to the Borough Clerk, who shall forward the same to the Mayor and Council.
B. 
The Captain shall designate an officer to maintain a "Roster of the Members of the Wood-Ridge Emergency Squad," which shall contain, at a minimum, the name, address, phone number, and date of birth of all members of the Squad. No person may be added to the Roster who has not been approved by the Mayor and Council.
No person shall be elected as a member of the Emergency Squad unless he or she is:
A. 
A citizen of the United States.
B. 
Either a resident of the Borough of Wood-Ridge or reside close enough to the Borough to be able to respond to calls in an acceptable time period in the judgment of the Board of Officers.
C. 
Not less than 18 years of age nor more than 50 years of age.
D. 
Of good health and able body and physically fit to perform the duties of a member of the Emergency Squad. Every applicant shall produce evidence of his or her physical fitness in the form of a certificate to that effect made by a practicing physician of the State of New Jersey after a physical examination by such physician.
E. 
Of good moral character.
The Wood-Ridge Municipal Building shall serve as the headquarters and address of the Wood-Ridge Fire Department and the Wood-Ridge Emergency Squad. The firehouse portion of the Municipal Building, as well as any other offices and storage areas within the Municipal Building or Municipal Building Garage, shall be a shared facility assigned jointly to the Fire Department and the Emergency Squad. The Borough of Wood-Ridge shall be the absolute owner of all facilities, including the lots on which they are situated and the fixtures and equipment contained therein, utilized by the Fire Department and Emergency Squad and shall be responsible for their maintenance and repair.
All ambulances, vehicles, and equipment shall be under the control of the Captain and the line officers. Except for the purposes of responding to mutual aid requests or attending training exercises, the Squad's apparatus, vehicles, and equipment may not be taken outside the Borough without the dual consent of the Captain and the Mayor or, in his or her absence, the Borough Administrator. The Borough of Wood-Ridge shall be the absolute owner of all apparatus, vehicles, and equipment assigned to the Emergency Squad and shall be responsible for their maintenance and repair.