[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Woodbury Heights 3-11-63 as Ord. No. 63-2, Ch. 8. Amendments noted where applicable.]
The Fire Department of the borough shall be composed of the
company known as the "Woodbury Heights Improvement, Protective and
Fire Association."
[Amended 4-19-89 by Ord. No. 4-1989]
The officers of the Fire Department shall consist of a Chief,
Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief, Captain and Lieutenants and any such
other officers as may be elected by the membership of the Woodbury
Heights Fire Department.
[Amended 4-19-89 by Ord. No. 4-1989; 4-20-2022 by Ord. No. 7-2022]
On the last Tuesday of November in each calendar year, there
shall be elected from and by the membership of the Woodbury Heights
Fire Department a Chief, Deputy Chief, and Assistant Chief. The names,
as selected by the Woodbury Heights Fire Department Active Fireman's
Association, shall be immediately presented to the Public Safety Committee,
the Mayor, and Borough Council of the Borough of Woodbury Heights
in advance of their annual reorganization meeting. The Mayor and Borough
Council may, at their discretion, approve or deny, such officer appointments
for the calendar year of the said reorganization. The term of office
for each officer shall be one year. All officers within this section
shall be bona fide residents of the Borough of Woodbury Heights; however,
the Mayor and Borough Council, upon the favorable recommendation of
the Public Safety Committee, shall have the discretion to approve
nonresident officers submitted by the Fire Department.
[Amended 4-19-89 by Ord. No. 4-1989]
The ownership of fire apparatus and equipment and any such other
fire apparatus and equipment, as may be purchased or accepted by the
borough, shall remain with the borough, and the same is hereby entrusted
to the Woodbury Heights Fire Department with the understanding that
such apparatus and equipment shall be kept in good condition. Failure
to comply with this section shall cause the revocation of this trust,
after a proper notice has been given to the Fire Department of the
Borough of Woodbury Heights and a hearing in connection with same
has been held before the Borough Council. Notice of the right to a
hearing shall be given to the Fire Department of the Borough of Woodbury
Heights in writing and, in the event that a hearing is not requested
by a representative of the Fire Department within seven days from
the date of receipt of said notice, said right to a hearing shall
be deemed to have been waived by the Fire Department.
[Amended 4-19-89 by Ord. No. 4-1989]
The Borough Council shall appropriate a reasonable amount of
money each year to maintain and support all fire equipment operated
by the Woodbury Heights Fire Department. The Borough Council shall
also appropriate a reasonable amount of money each year to maintain
the physical structure commonly referred to as the Woodbury Heights
Fire House, which is located on Elm Avenue in the borough.
A.
No person shall become a member of the active department of the Woodbury
Heights Improvement, Protection, and Fire Association who shall be
under the age of 18 or over the age of 56 and who shall not be in
good physical condition to perform the duties of a fireman in accordance
with a physical test record made and signed by a licensed physician
of the state after due physical examination for that purpose.
[Amended 4-12-1976 by Ord. No. 3-1976; 4-20-2022 by Ord. No. 7-2022]
B.
Members of the Fire Department, in any class of membership, shall
be citizens of the United States, and residents of the Borough of
Woodbury Heights. However, nonresident applicants may be qualified
for Active Firemen with the additional approval of all Chiefs, including
approval by the Mayor and Borough Council of the Borough of Woodbury
Heights through the Public Safety Committee.
[Amended 4-19-1989 by Ord. No. 4-1989; 2-18-1998 by Ord. No. 4-1998; 4-20-2022 by Ord. No. 7-2022]
C.
The Chief or the Deputy Chief of the Fire Department shall have the
specific authority to retain the services of a nonresident to perform
special duties, such as education in firefighting or other training.
Said appointments shall be on a temporary basis for a limited period
of time and shall be in the sole discretion of the Chief or Deputy
Chief making said appointment. Said nonresidents appointed hereunder
shall be appointed for that limited purpose and said appointment shall
not act as a waiver to the requirements of qualifications to be a
member of the fire department.
[Added 4-19-1989 by Ord. No. 4-1989]
Application for membership in the Fire Department shall be made
to the Woodbury Heights Improvement, Protection and Fire Association
and shall comply with the provisions of Article 14, Section 5, of
the bylaws of the Woodbury Heights Improvement, Protection and Fire
Association and, upon his election as a member, shall obtain approval
of this election for active membership upon the recommendation of
the Chief and confirmation of the Woodbury Heights Improvement, Protection
and Fire Association. No applicant shall be rejected except for just
and good cause.
Every member of the Fire Department shall, during each year,
perform at least 60% of duty, such duty being composed of answering
fire alarms, actual attendance and duty at fires and not exceeding
20 drills in each year.
[Amended 4-19-89 by Ord. No. 4-1989]
The Chief of the Fire Department shall keep a permanent record
of all fire and drill service and each member of the Woodbury Heights
Fire Department.
[Amended 4-19-89 by Ord. No. 4-1989]
The Chief of the Fire Department shall examine, at least once
in each month, all apparatus and equipment of the Department and report
the condition thereof to the Borough Council at its next regularly
scheduled meeting together with a statement as to the number of fires
attended by himself, the Deputy Chief or Assistant Chief with the
cause of such fires, if known, and with such other information as
he may deem proper or that may be required by the Mayor or Borough
Council of the Borough of Woodbury Heights.
A.
The Chief of the Fire Department shall, in all cases of fire threatening
injury or destruction of property, take prompt and effectual measures
and use the means of the Department to extinguish the fire. He shall
at all times have sole and absolute control and command over the fire
apparatus and over the members of the Fire Department and over all
other fire apparatus aiding and assisting the Department in the event
of fire.
B.
The Chief of the Fire Department, the Deputy Chief and the Assistant
Chief shall attend, if possible, all fires, which may occur within
the borough or elsewhere if necessary and called upon, and each in
order of seniority of position is hereby authorized and empowered
to take charge of any burning buildings and any other buildings likely
to be burned or threatened with burning and to admit only so many
persons, who are not firemen, to such burning buildings, as may deem
necessary to aid in extinguishing of the fire and the preservation
of property. Such officers are hereby vested with all powers of police
officers of the municipality or the county while proceeding to, attending
upon and returning from a fire or an answer to an alarm of fire, and
such powers are also vested in such officers in case of any public
emergency or disaster to the end that they may and shall preserve
the peace and protect both public and private property in accordance
with the laws of this state.
The authority, as set forth above, shall be subject to the laws
of the State of New Jersey and to the extent said authority is not
inconsistent with the laws of the State of New Jersey, this authority
shall govern the actions of the Chief, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief
and other members of the Woodbury Heights Fire Department.
[Amended 4-19-89 by Ord. No. 4-1989]
[Amended 4-19-89 by Ord. No. 4-1989]
The Chief of the Fire Department, the Deputy Chief and Assistant
Chief shall constitute a Board of Fire Engineers, who shall have the
power to make such rules and regulations for the government of the
Fire Department, as they may deem necessary, not in conflict with
any provisions of this chapter or any statute, and to fix penalties
for the nonobservance of the same; provided, that such rules and regulations
are approved by the Borough Council of the Borough of Woodbury Heights.
