[Amended 2-22-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-05; 9-27-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-18]
The Fire Department shall consist of a Fire Department liaison
representative from the Township governing body and two volunteer
fire companies plus a Chief for each company. The firefighters shall
not be less than 18 years old at the time their application for membership
in the Fire Department is presented to the Township Manager for approval.
In addition, there shall be nine Fire Marshals attached to each company
appointed by the Township Manager.
Administrative control of the Fire Department shall be as established
by the Township Manager.
[Added 6-26-2012 by Ord.
No. 2012-17]
A.
Appointment of a Fire Department
Training Officer. The Township Manager may appoint a Fire Department
Training Officer from among candidates recommended by each of the
company Chiefs. The Fire Department Training Officer shall serve a
term of one year to coincide with the term of the Department Chief.
The Fire Department Training Officer will serve under the direction
of the Department Chief and shall receive no compensation. The Fire
Department Training Officer will be qualified by way of training and
experience to hold the position.
B.
Duties of the Fire Department Training
Officer. The Fire Department Training Officer, if appointed, shall
be responsible for:
(1)
Coordination of Department
training activities.
(2)
Recommendation of Department
training program to the Department Chief.
(3)
Maintenance of training records
for all firefighters.
(4)
Preparation of an annual training
report to the Department Chief.
(5)
Any other duties assigned by
the Department Chief.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
The company Chief shall be recommended by each fire company
for the term of one year, who shall then be appointed by the Township
Manager and the appointment reported to the Township Council. Such
appointment shall be made on the first day of January of each year.
The Department Chief shall alternate between the companies each year.
[Added 12-22-2009 by Ord.
No. 2009-32]
The Department Chief of the Fire Department will be responsible
to:
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
The Chiefs and other officers shall wear, when on duty, hats
or helmets upon which shall be clearly shown the name of their respective
office.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Any citizen of the Township possessing the qualifications set out in § 5-63 and desiring to become a member of the Fire Department shall make application on blanks provided for that purpose to the fire company, and upon approval of the Township Manager the application shall be signed by the Township Clerk and Department Chief and returned to the New Jersey State Firemen's Association, and thereupon the new member shall be detailed to duty with that company. Should such firefighter at any time desire to change to another company, he shall so request, in writing, to the Fire Department Chief, and the Chiefs of the companies concurring, such change may be made at the pleasure of the Township Manager.
Each firefighter, upon entering upon his duties as a firefighter,
shall receive a badge, to be furnished by the Township, and it shall
be surrendered to the Fire Department Chief upon death, resignation,
removal or expiration of term.
Any firefighter may resign at any time, such resignation to
be made in writing, and credit will be given for time served as a
firefighter, provided that such firefighter is in good standing and
free from charges at the time such resignation is made.
The members of each company shall themselves elect a Captain
and a First and Second Lieutenant, who shall hold office for one year.
Each company shall adopt a constitution and bylaws for its civic government,
but all constitutions, bylaws, rules and regulations adopted by them
shall be subject to the approval of the Township Council.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
It shall be the duty of the companies, so often as any alarm
is sounded, to report immediately upon the alarm thereof to their
respective firehouses and to convey their apparatus to the location,
unless otherwise ordered by the officer present, and to remain under
his direction until dismissed. Helmets, boots, bunker pants, and turnout
coats shall be worn before riding the apparatus when answering alarms
and while on duty at an alarm.
The officers, in order of their rank, shall have entire charge
of the firefighters and the apparatus while it is actually engaged
in active duty, while on parade or inspection, or when employed in
drills, and it shall be their duty to see that all apparatus is returned.
In all cases, the officers, in order of their rank, shall have full
and absolute command and shall cause the firefighters and the apparatus
to work in the most advantageous manner.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
It shall be the duty of the company Chiefs to report monthly
to the Township Manager and Bureau of Fire Safety the condition of
all firefighting apparatus and appurtenances and the number and date
of all fires during the month previous.
The Township Manager shall keep a true record of the members
of the Department, which record shall consist of at least the name,
address, when admitted, company assigned to, duty performed, when
membership expires and such other information as the Township Manager
or Township Council shall from time to time request.
The Chief in command at any fire is hereby clothed with full
and complete police authority and is hereby authorized to call upon
the head of any municipal department for aid and assistance.
Any firefighter or officer, while on duty at any fire, drill,
parade or inspection, who shall refuse or willfully neglect to obey
or execute any orders from any officer shall for the offense be subject
to suspension or expulsion from the Department, but the officer or
firefighter so charged shall be permitted to be heard in his defense
within a period of 10 days thereafter at a hearing before the Township
Manager. In case of willful refusal or neglect to attend any alarm,
such member or members shall be subject to suspension or expulsion
from such company at the discretion of the Township Manager.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
If any company in the Department shall vote for the suspension
or expulsion of any of its members, the same shall be reported to
the Township Manager, and the expelled or suspended member shall have
the right to appeal by appearing or stating in writing to the Township
Manager why such expulsion or suspension should not be confirmed,
and in case of his nonappearance, or in case his appeal is not sustained,
the Township Manager may thereupon confirm the suspension or expulsion.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Every member of the Fire Department shall, in each and every
year, perform at least 20% of duty, such 20% being composed of answering
alarms, actual attendance and duty at alarms, and not exceeding 20
drills in each and every year. Any member failing to perform 20% of
all duty in each year may, on recommendation of the fire company,
be suspended from the Department.
It shall be the duty of the Chiefs to arrange the drills so
that they will include the proper and efficient use of all appliances,
apparatus and other improved methods of firematics.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Any member of the Fire Department who has served seven years
in the Department and has attended 60% of all alarms in each year,
or 50% of all alarms in each year after January 1, 2009, or 25% of
all alarms in each year after January 1, 2019, in accordance with
this article shall, upon proper verification, be entitled to an exempt
certificate.
No member of the Fire Department shall have the right to appear
before the Township Council on any business pertaining to the Fire
Department unless permission, in writing, is given by the Township
Manager to do so. Any member violating such rule shall, after a hearing,
be subject to expulsion from the Department.
The Fire Department liaison representative and the company Chiefs
will meet quarter-annually on the second Fridays of March, June, September
and December of each year. It shall be the duty of the liaison representative
to attend at least one regular meeting of each fire company in each
month of the year and, if unable to attend, to notify the company
Chief.
A.
Any widow, widower or minor child
or children of a volunteer firefighter who dies as the result of injuries
sustained in the course of performance of duty as a member of the
Volunteer Fire Department shall receive a pension in accordance with
the provisions of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey, commencing with
N.J.S.A. 43:12-28.1.
B.
The amount of such pension shall
be as provided in N.J.S.A. 43:12-28.2 and shall be paid to the widow/widower
of the deceased firefighter during her/his widowhood/widowerhood or
to the legal guardian of the minor child or children of such firefighter
if he leaves no widow/widower surviving or to the guardian of such
minor child or children after the death of such widow/widower during
his or their minority.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
C.
The minor child or children of
the deceased firefighter shall be determined to be minors if under
the age of 18 years, unless legally emancipated prior thereto.[1]
D.
Should any question arise as to
whether or not a volunteer firefighter died as a result of injuries
sustained in the course of performance of duty as a member of the
Volunteer Fire Department, then and in such event a board composed
of the Chiefs of the fire companies of the Township, the Fire Department
liaison representative, the Mayor and the Township Manager shall convene
as a board, hear evidence and make an appropriate determination.
The penalty for any violation of this article, to which no definite
penalty is attached, shall, in case of an officer or member, be demotion
from his office or suspension from the Fire Department or both by
the Township Manager.
[Added 8-26-2008 by Ord.
No. 2008-19; amended 5-25-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-11]
A.
There is hereby established an
auxiliary to the Pequannock Fire Department to be known as the "Junior
Firefighters Auxiliary," which shall operate under and pursuant to
N.J.S.A. 40A:14-95 et seq. The Chief or his/her designee shall be
responsible for the direction and control of the Auxiliary established
within his/her company.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
B.
Any resident of the Township of
Pequannock between 14 and 18 years of age shall be eligible for membership
in the Junior Firefighters Auxiliary. No individual shall become a
member of the Junior Firefighters Auxiliary unless permission shall
be obtained from such individual's parent or legal guardian. Such
permission shall be in writing and acknowledged or proved in the manner
required by law for deeds to real estate to be recorded. The original
written permission shall be retained by the Township Clerk with a
copy of the same to be forwarded by the Clerk to the Fire Department
Chief.
C.
Members of the Junior Firefighters
Auxiliary shall be provided with the same insurance coverage as provided
for the regular volunteer firefighters in the Pequannock Fire Department.
D.
The Township Council hereinafter
establishes the following rules and regulations designed to provide
for the training of the Auxiliary for eventual membership in the Pequannock
Fire Department and to govern the activities of the Auxiliary:
(1)
Applicants for junior membership
in the Pequannock Township Fire Department shall reside within the
Pequannock Township border and be a minimum of 14 years of age.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
(2)
Only applicants that have the
parental consent form completed will be able to become junior firefighters
with the Pequannock Township Fire Department.
(3)
Applicants will complete the
standard Department application for active membership in the Junior
Firefighters Auxiliary.
(4)
Applicants are encouraged to
participate in all fires and drills.
(5)
Junior firefighters shall obey
and follow the bylaws of both Pequannock Township fire companies and
the rules and regulations of the Junior Firefighters Auxiliary.
(6)
Junior firefighters are to
maintain a 2.50 grade point average in school to maintain membership.
Members are to present the Chief with a copy of their report card
every marking period. If the junior firefighter fails to maintain
a 2.50 grade point average, they will be suspended from duty until
their grades improve to a 2.50 grade point average.
(7)
No junior firefighter will
be allowed in any portion of the firehouse without an active firefighter
present and aware of the junior member's presence. (An active member
is a member with more than one year of service.)
(8)
No junior firefighter will
be able to respond to emergency incidents between the hours of 10:00
p.m. and 6:00 a.m. and during normal school hours.
(9)
Junior firefighters will not
enter any structure or warm or hot zone until the incident commander
(IC) declares the area safe for them to enter.
(10)
Junior firefighters will
be assigned to a qualified firefighter as an immediate supervisor,
but will fall under the direction of the Chief and line officers.
(11)
Junior firefighters shall
first allow active firefighters to respond on fire apparatus. If there
is room they may respond on fire apparatus. If there is no room they
may respond with any fire apparatus only after requesting permission
from the officer or senior firefighter on the apparatus.
(12)
Junior firefighters that
bring discredit to the Pequannock Township Fire Department will be
expelled and their parent/guardian will be notified.
(13)
Junior firefighters are not
allowed to handle alcohol under any circumstances.
(14)
The use of controlled substances
or alcohol is prohibited and will result in expulsion and notification
to the junior firefighter's parent or guardian and the local Police
Department.
(15)
Junior firefighters will
be issued personal protective equipment from the lead instructor to
be worn at emergency incidents and drills as required. All personal
protective equipment will be stored in the firehouse.
(16)
Junior firefighters shall
not be allowed to make financial purchases for the Fire Department.
(17)
The parent or guardian of
a junior firefighter shall be responsible for any lost or stolen Fire
Department issued equipment.
(18)
Junior firefighters are to
report any problems, conflicts, or damaged or broken equipment to
the lead instructor.
(19)
Junior firefighters are not
allowed to utilize any Fire Department computers.
(20)
All junior firefighters are
required to attend the junior firefighter class at the Morris County
Fire Academy within one year of joining.
(21)
All injuries shall be reported
to the Chief or line officer.
(22)
Junior firefighters are prohibited
from the use of emergency blue lights on vehicles.
(23)
Subject to the approval of
the Township Council, these rules and regulations may be supplemented
by the Pequannock Fire Department.
