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Borough of Woodstown, NJ
Salem County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Fire Department of the Borough of Woodstown is hereby established coextensive with territorial jurisdiction of said borough.
[Amended 1-28-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-1]
The Department shall consist of one Chief, three Assistant Chiefs, and two Captains, the Reliance Fire Company and the members thereof and as many additional fire companies and hose companies as the Mayor and Council may, from time to time, deem necessary.
[Amended 11-8-82 by Ord. No. 336; 2-23-93 by Ord. No. 460; 9-12-95 by Ord. No. 495]
The company shall be entitled to 60 active members and 10 members of the Junior Firemen's Auxiliary, for a total of 70 members consisting of both active and junior auxiliary members. The word "fireman" or "firemen" wherever used in this chapter is intended to apply to a fire fighter, regardless of gender, and nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted to preclude females from membership in any company or the Junior Firemen's Auxiliary. The use of the words "he", "his", or "him" shall not be interpreted to preclude females from occupying any office or position in the fire department or fire company, and those words shall be modified to the extent necessary in applying any section of this chapter to a female person.
The government and management of the different companies shall be according to such constitution, rules and bylaws as may be adopted by them, provided that the same shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter or of the laws of this state.
[Amended 1-28-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-1]
A. 
The management and control of said Fire Department shall be under the Chief, Assistant Chiefs and Captains, who shall be jointly and separately responsible to the Mayor and Council for the proper keeping, care and use of all fire apparatus committed to their care, in such manner as the Council may, from time to time, order and direct. The Chief, Assistant Chiefs and Captains shall be elected by the members of the Fire Department at an election to be duly called in accordance with its constitution, rules and bylaws.
B. 
The Chief, Assistant Chiefs and Captains shall serve for the period of one year until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. The Chief, Assistant Chiefs and Captains shall be members of the Fire Department in good standing, and no one shall be entitled to vote at any said election unless he is a duly qualified fireman in good standing in the company. The result of said election, signed by the election officers, shall be forwarded to the Council, and no person shall assume the duties of the office of Chief, Assistant Chiefs, Captains or officers until his election has been approved by the Council.
The members of the Reliance Fire Company are hereby admitted, and each of them shall be and become firemen under the Fire Department of the Borough of Woodstown upon filing with the Clerk of the borough a schedule of names, the date of admission and place of residence of each member, said certificate shall be signed by the Chief and attested by the Secretary of the company.
[Amended 4-12-75 by Ord. No. 282]
A. 
No person, except as provided in Subsection B hereof, shall hereafter become a member of the Fire Department or of any of the companies or units thereof unless he has attained the age of 18 and is a citizen of the United States at the time of his acceptance in said Department. He shall be physically fit to perform the duties of a fireman, evidenced by a certificate to that effect after a physical examination for that purpose by the fire company physician.
[Amended 3-10-09 by Ord. No. 2009-6; 1-28-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-1]
B. 
Junior Firemen's Auxiliary.
(1) 
A Junior Firemen's Auxiliary to the Fire Department of the Borough of Woodstown is hereby established pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-95 et seq. and subject to the supervision of said fire company and its Chief. The members of said auxiliary shall be known as "junior firemen."
(2) 
Junior firemen shall meet all the qualifications of regular firemen, except that they need only have reached the age of 16 years and may be no older than 18 years of age.
(3) 
Said junior firemen, before being considered for membership, must obtain permission to join the auxiliary from their parents or guardian and must submit to the fire company said permission, in writing and acknowledged or approved in the manner required by law for deeds to real estate to be recorded.
(4) 
Members of the auxiliary shall be insured by the same coverage and in the same amounts provided for the regular volunteer firemen of the Borough of Woodstown.
(5) 
Every person seeking to become a junior fireman must apply and be selected in the same manner as regular firemen.
(6) 
Junior firemen shall be trained for eventual membership in the Reliance Fire Company by the Chief and the regular members.
(7) 
No junior fireman shall be allowed to perform duties that would expose him to the same degree of hazard as a regular member of a volunteer fire company.
(8) 
Junior firemen shall not fight fires.
(9) 
Junior firemen shall be subject to provisions of the borough ordinance covering firemen and to suspension or expulsion as provided therein.
[Amended 7-11-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-6]
Every member of the Fire Department shall in each and every year perform at least 25% of duty, to be composed of actual attendance and duty at fires and drills, and a record shall be kept of such attendance and duty by the Chief of the Fire Department and reported to the municipal officials annually.
Every person seeking to join the Fire Department shall make application to the company or unit which he desires to join, and upon his election to membership by a vote of 2/3 of the members present and voting, he shall become a member in good standing of the Fire Department after approval of his membership by the President of the Department and confirmation thereof by the Mayor and Council, and his name shall be entered on a roll of firemen kept by the Borough Clerk. He shall be given a badge of membership.
No engine, hook and ladder truck, hose truck or other mobile equipment shall, during the existence of any fire in the borough or alarm of fire or at any time, be taken out of the firehouse unless the Chief or at least one fireman of said company is present and consents thereto.
[Amended 1-28-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-1]
The Chief or, in his absence, one of the Assistant Chiefs or Captains shall at all times at fires have sole and absolute command over all engines and fire companies of said Department, and it shall be his duty to direct the other officers to see that the fire apparatus is placed in the most advantageous situation for the extinguishment of the fire, and it shall be his duty to examine every month the condition of the fire companies, trucks, ladders and other apparatus and firehouses within the Borough and report the condition of the same to the Council in January of each year.
The Chief shall inquire into all violations of the provisions of this chapter or of any law of the state or ordinance of the borough relating to the prevention or extinguishment of fires, and shall cause such legal proceedings to be had as shall prevent the continuance of the same. He shall investigate the cause of all fires which may take place within the borough, and if the result of such inquiry shall satisfy him that the fire was of incendiary origin, he shall report to the Mayor that there are good and sufficient grounds or presumption that the fire so occurring was caused by design, and it shall thereupon be lawful for the Mayor to offer such reward as he may deem advisable or as the Council shall recommend for the discovery and apprehension of the incendiary, such reward to be paid on conviction of the person or persons so offending.
[Amended 1-28-2020 by Ord. No. 2020-1]
It shall be the duty, subject to the direction of the Chief, of all members of the Fire Department to prevent all persons not belonging to the Department from entering any house or handling any apparatus belonging to the Department, except as is hereinafter provided. Every person not a fireman who shall be present at a fire shall be subject and obedient to the orders of the Chief or the Assistant Chief or Captain, or any member of the Fire Department acting under their direction in extinguishing the fire, preserving order and removing property.
The engine, hook and ladder truck and other machines and apparatus of the Fire Department of this borough, when driven on any street in attending any fire alarm, shall have the right-of-way thereon, and all persons driving vehicles on such streets shall turn out for such engine, truck and other machines or apparatus.
The companies admitted or organized under this chapter may attend fires outside the Borough of Woodstown.
[Amended 7-11-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-6]
Exemption certificates will be issued to members of the Fire Department who shall have served 84 months in active duty under municipal control, as required by a law of April 29, 1935, as amended May 26, 1936.