There shall be an organization known as the "Wood-Ridge Fire Department" to respond to incidents of fire and other emergencies within the Borough of Wood-Ridge and other mutual aid municipalities.
The Fire Department shall consist of the following line officers in order of rank and precedence: one Chief, one First Assistant Chief, one Second Assistant Chief, no more than two Captains, and no more than four Lieutenants, in addition to a total of not more than 60 firefighters, or the number designated by the New Jersey State Firemen's Relief Association, as well as 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 Fire Chief shall be the Commanding Officer and Chief Administrative Officer of the Department. The Chief shall be responsible for the operational and administrative management of the Fire Department 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 Department, the supervision and discipline of its personnel and the management and maintenance of its property and equipment.
B. 
The Fire Chief shall have full power and absolute command and control of all fire incidents. In the absence or incapacity of the Chief, all the operational and administrative responsibilities and powers of the Chief shall be exercised by a line officer, in order of rank and precedence, who is present and capable. In the case of the absence or incapacity of all line officers during a fire incident or other emergency, an ex-Chief shall perform all the duties of the Chief until relieved upon arrival of a line officer.
A. 
The internal government and management of the Department shall be according to such constitution, rules and bylaws as may be adopted by the members of the Department 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 Department 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 Chief and line officers in the orderly and efficient operation of the Department, 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 Chief and Assistant Chiefs shall be considered to be both line and administrative officers.
C. 
The members of the Department shall meet at least monthly, and the Chief shall be the presiding officer at all meetings. In the absence of the Chief, the next line officer, in order of rank and precedence, who is present shall preside. The Chief shall report at least monthly to the Mayor or, if he or she so designates, the Borough Administrator or Chairperson of the Council Fire Committee on the activities and condition of the Fire Department including its personnel, equipment, and facilities.
The Board of Officers shall consist of all line officers and administrative officers of the Department and shall meet at least monthly. The Chief, First Assistant Chief, and Second Assistant Chief shall serve as Chairperson, First Vice Chairperson and Second Vice Chairperson, respectively, of the Board. All officers shall perform such duties as assigned by the Chief 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 Department'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 Chief and officers of the Fire Department shall be elected annually, in a manner prescribed by the Department's bylaws, by the members of the Department. 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 Fire Department 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 Chief shall designate an officer to maintain a "Roster of the Members of the Wood-Ridge Fire Department" which shall contain, at a minimum, the name, address, phone number, and date of birth of all members of the Department. 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 Fire Department 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 firefighter. 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.
In the event of public need and/or emergency, the Mayor or, in his or her absence, the Borough Administrator, may direct the Chief to order the members of the Fire Department to do police and/or other special duty, which shall be considered service duty and figured in the annual percentage of the firemen performing such duty.
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 apparatus, vehicles, and equipment shall be under the control of the Chief and the line officers. Except for the purposes of responding to mutual aid requests or attending training exercises, the Department's apparatus, vehicles, and equipment may not be taken outside the Borough without the dual consent of the Chief 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 Fire Department and shall be responsible for their maintenance and repair.