[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Mount Joy as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Police Department — See Ch. 56.
Alarms — See Ch. 85.
Fire insurance claims — See Ch. 134.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 136.
[Adopted 6-8-1970 by Ord. No. 325; amended in its entirety 9-14-1992 by Ord. No. 497 (Ch. 1, Part 5, of the 1992 Code of Ordinances)]
[Amended 8-16-1993 by Ord. No. 507]
A. 
The following volunteer fire company is hereby recognized to provide first response fire-protection and/or emergency services in the Borough of Mount Joy: Fire Department Mount Joy, Inc.
B. 
The volunteer fire company has formed the Firemen's Relief Association of the Fire Department Mount Joy as the association for the benefit of its members and their families in case of death, sickness, temporary or permanent disability or accident suffered in the line of duty.
C. 
The above-named relief association is designated as the proper association to receive such funds as are due and payable to the Borough Treasurer by the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from the tax on premiums of foreign fire insurance companies.
The Borough Council shall annually certify to the Auditor General of the commonwealth the name(s) of the active associations and the percentage of service they contribute to the protection of the Borough. Such certification shall be on forms prescribed by the Auditor General.
There is annually appropriated from the Borough Treasury all such sums of money that may hereafter be paid into the Borough Treasury by the Treasurer of the State of Pennsylvania on account of taxes paid on premiums of foreign fire insurance companies in pursuance of the Act of December 18, 1984, No. 205, Section 701 et seq.,[1] as hereafter amended, supplemented, modified or reenacted by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania. Such monies received by the Borough Treasurer from the State Treasurer shall be distributed to the duly recognized association(s) within 60 days of receipt. The funds shall be distributed on the basis of the percentage of service established in the certification to the Auditor General and with other provisions of the Act.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 895.701 et seq.
[Adopted 8-16-1993 by Ord. No. 506 (Ch. 1, Part 9, of the 1992 Code of Ordinances)]
Fire Department Mount Joy, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, hereinafter in this article referred to as the "Fire Company," is hereby designated as the officially recognized volunteer fire company to provide first due response for the Borough of Mount Joy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Borough Council hereby authorizes the Fire Company to perform the following activities and services:
A. 
To provide such services as may be necessary for the protection of property and persons situate therein which include, by way of example and not of limitation, the extinguishment and prevention of loss of life and property from fire, automobile accidents, medical emergencies, hazardous material incidents and other dangerous situations.
B. 
To provide nonemergency and public services such as, by way of example and not of limitation, removing water from property after storms and assisting in the removal, abatement and prevention of damage or injury to persons or property, whether through natural causes or man-made situations.
C. 
To conduct and participate in such training activities and drills, either within or outside of the Borough, as may be deemed necessary by the officers of the Fire Company to maintain proficiency in providing services.
D. 
To respond to calls and provide services to municipalities outside the Borough when so requested by such municipality or another fire company or when directed to so respond by Lancaster County Communications.
Borough Council hereby authorizes the members of the Fire Company to perform the following activities and services when so requested by an officer of the Fire Company:
A. 
To engage in any type of drill, training, ceremony, practice, test or parade.
B. 
To engage in fund-raising activities for the Fire Company.
C. 
To engage in the performance of any other duty or activity which contributes to the mission of the Fire Company.
The purpose of this article is to recognize the Fire Company as the official first due response fire company of the Borough and to state additional authorized activities for members of the Fire Company for workers' compensation and governmental immunity purposes.
[Added 9-9-2002 by Ord. No. 3-03]
A. 
Mount Joy Borough hereby authorizes the aforesaid companies to recover the reasonable response costs (including, but not limited to, materials, administrative, personnel and legal costs incurred from its initial response up to the time of recovery of same) as authorized, from time to time, by the Hazardous Material Emergency Planning and Response Act,[1] but subject to the restrictions and procedures set forth therein.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 35 P.S. § 6022.101 et seq.
B. 
Pursuant to its rule-making authority granted by the Borough Code,[2] the Borough's volunteer fire companies are hereby authorized and instructed to recover the reasonable costs (including, but not limited to, the fair market value of any of such company's materials, equipment or apparatus which may be expended, consumed or destroyed, as well as the reasonable costs incurred to repair damage inflicted upon same) involved in traveling to, returning from or attending an automobile incident or accident or hazmat incident. Where not determined by actual repair costs or fair market value, the aforesaid companies shall follow the current Lancaster County Fire Chief's Association Cost Recovery Fee Schedule for vehicle-related incidents which is in effect at the time of the incident.
[2]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 45101 et seq.
C. 
Except as may be provided by law or contract, any insurance maintained by a Borough volunteer company shall remain the primary source for compensation as the result of any damage or injury to such fire company's personnel, equipment or apparatus. Any fire company suffering damage as aforesaid shall have the discretion to abandon a claim against a responsible party in the event that it has been fully compensated by proceeds from its own insurance company and is further satisfied that it will not, as a result of abandoning such claim, suffer any economic detriment. This section is not intended to abrogate any responsibility imposed upon a volunteer fire company or an insurance carrier under an applicable insurance policy maintained by such volunteer fire company. Any provision contained in this section which would have the result of preventing such fire company from recovering insurance proceeds under any insurance policy maintained by that volunteer fire company that would exceed damages recoverable from a responsible party shall be deemed inapplicable.
D. 
All applicable costs and damages as aforesaid shall be assessed against the responsible party. The responsible party shall be deemed to be the party, and such party's employer if the vehicle was either owned by an employer or being operated in the course of such employer's business, who is determined to be responsible in an applicable police incident report. In a one vehicle incident, the responsible party shall be deemed to be the driver and his employer as aforesaid. In the event the police report does not identify a responsible party, then all drivers (and employers) involved in the incident shall be deemed jointly and severally liable as aforesaid.
E. 
The involved Borough volunteer fire company shall advise the Borough of the amount required for reimbursement and shall supply the Borough with a copy of the applicable police report as soon after the incident as reasonably possible. The Borough shall make a written assessment upon the person or persons it determines to be the responsible party as aforesaid, as soon as reasonably possible after the costs and the responsible party have been determined. In the event that the designated responsible party or parties shall deny responsibility or otherwise refuse to remit the assessment within 60 days of posting of such assessment, the Borough volunteer fire company is hereby authorized to initiate legal proceedings to collect the amount assessed in a court of competent jurisdiction. All monies received pursuant to an assessment shall be forwarded to the applicable fire company within 30 days.
F. 
The Borough Solicitor is authorized to provide such assistance as the Fire Company shall require in order to collect an assessment. In regards to a hazmat incident, such reasonable costs incurred for the Solicitor shall be included within the assessment.
G. 
The Fire Company shall have the right to waive a claim for assessment in any case it deems the losses to be either de minimis or where the cost for litigation would reasonably be expected to exceed the assessment to be collected.
H. 
The companies shall attempt, to the greatest degree possible, to standardize their procedures in regard to actions taken pursuant to this section.
I. 
Nothing in this section shall be deemed to impose any liability or responsibility upon Mount Joy Borough, except as specifically set forth above. All filing fees and costs of litigation, except for the services of the Borough Solicitor, shall be the responsibility of the companies.
J. 
The companies shall be issued a police report for any incident in which either are involved as soon as reasonably possible, at no charge.
K. 
The Borough may, from time to time, by resolution, adopt a schedule of costs to be assessed as a result of an automobile or hazmat incident, which, upon adoption, shall supersede the Fire Chief's schedule as aforesaid.