The paramount purpose of each volunteer fire company and of
every member thereof shall be to provide the utmost protection possible
to life and property within the Township during the occurrence of
fire.
In order to best accomplish the purpose stated in §
81-1, the Mission Volunteer Fire Company shall be primarily responsible for responding to those alarms of fires occurring north of the center line of Ward Avenue, and the Derby Volunteer Fire Company shall be primarily responsible for responding to those alarms of fires occurring south of the center line of Ward Avenue; provided that each company shall cooperate with the other as needed to provide maximum protection against fire to the entire Township, as required for the public health, safety, convenience, and general welfare of the Township.
Each volunteer fire company shall be directed by a Fire Chief,
and shall have such additional officers as each company may determine.
Each Fire Chief shall report to the Administrator on the operations
of the company which the Fire Chief heads, and the Administrator shall
make suggestions for the operation of and coordination between the
respective companies, subject to their approval and implementation.
Each Fire Chief shall be selected by their respective volunteer
fire company in such manner and for such term as the company shall
determine; provided that such person shall have a minimum of three
years' experience as an active firefighter, shall have served at least
one full year in the fire company immediately prior to selection and
shall have held the rank of Captain or Assistant Chief for a one-year
period prior to selection as Fire Chief; and further provided that
the selection of such person be approved by the Township Committee
at its regular meeting next following selection. Should the Township
Committee disapprove selection of any person as Fire Chief, the reasons
therefor shall be stated in the minutes.
Each Fire Chief shall be the commanding officer of the Fire Chief's company and shall have full authority to deploy and direct its members and equipment at all fires and during the period of all alarms. At such times, the Fire Chief's authority shall extend to controlling all premises endangered by fire, directing firefighting and emergency activities thereon, routing traffic therefrom, and taking such other actions and precautions as in the Fire Chief's judgment are necessary to minimize risk to life and property, and may call upon the Department of Police for any assistance required. In those situations where both companies are on duty at the same fire, the Fire Chief within whose jurisdiction the fire is located, as provided in §
81-2 herein, shall assume command. The Fire Chief's responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
A. Prescribing training requirements
for members of the fire company, subject to approval of the Township
Committee;
B. Preparing and submitting monthly
reports to the Administrator on the condition of the company and attendance
of members;
C. Maintaining a fire alarm system;
D. Inspecting certain buildings, in accordance with §
81-10;
E. Authorizing the emergency use of fire apparatus outside the Township limits, in accordance with §
81-11;
F. Initiating disciplinary proceedings
against a member.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Every person seeking to join a volunteer fire company shall apply to the company which the person desires to join. No application shall be entertained unless the applicant is not less than 18 years of age and a citizen of the United States. Such applicant shall be interviewed by the Fire Chief of the company to which the person has applied and shall undergo such physical, mental and psychological examinations as the Township Committee may by resolution direct. The Fire Chief shall thereafter compile the results of such examinations and, on the basis of the results and the interview, recommend to the Administrator that the applicant be accepted or rejected. The Administrator shall act on such recommendation within 30 days of receipt. If such action is favorable, the applicant shall become a member of the company, subject to the conditions set forth in §
81-8. If such action is unfavorable, the applicant may appeal such action to the Township Committee, whose decision shall be final. Not more than 49% of the active membership of each company shall reside outside the Township limits.
[Added 4-22-2002 by Ord.
No. 2002-06]
A. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-10.1a,
the Township Committee hereby classifies all of the duly qualified
applicants for the position or positions to be filled in the Fire
District One and Fire District Two as follows:
(1) Residents of the municipality.
(2) Other residents of the county
of which the municipality is situated or contiguous county.
(3) Other residents of the state.
(4) All other qualified applicants.
B. Fire District One and Fire District
Two shall within their respective district appoint individuals as
paid employees of the district in accordance with the classifications
and as per N.J.S.A. 40A:14-10.1a. The residency classification established
in this section is subject to the veterans' hiring preference as well
as any volunteer firefighter list within each district.
The following conditions shall apply to membership in volunteer
fire companies:
A. Training period. Every new member
shall serve a training period of one year during which time the member
shall undergo and satisfactorily complete such training as may be
prescribed for new members by the Fire Chief of the fire company.
The participation of such new members in activities of the company
at the scene of fires may be limited to such tasks as the Fire Chief
may, in the Fire Chief's discretion, deem appropriate for firefighters
who are not fully trained. At the end of said training period, the
Fire Chief shall review the performance of the member, and if the
Fire Chief determines that such member has not satisfactorily met
the standards of the company, the Fire Chief shall recommend to the
Township Committee that such person's membership be terminated. The
Township Committee shall act on such recommendation within 30 days
of receipt of the recommendation, and its action shall be final. If
said Fire Chief determines that such member has satisfactorily completed
the required training, such member shall automatically continue in
good standing.
B. Waiver of training period. The
above training requirement may be waived by the Fire Chief in the
case of any applicant having served previously in another fire company
and who submits with the application a letter from that company stating
that the applicant has satisfactorily met their training requirements.
Factors which shall guide the Chief shall include the recency and
degree of thoroughness of the training received.
C. Physical fitness. Physical fitness
shall be prerequisite to continuing membership in any volunteer fire
company. The Fire Chiefs may, in their discretion, require any member
to be medically examined as to fitness at any time, at the member's
expense. The results of such examinations shall be reviewed by the
Township Committee, whose decision on continuation of membership by
the person examined shall be final.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
Every member of a volunteer fire company shall, in each and
every year, participate in at least 60% of the drills and at least
60% of the fire duty calls in which the member's company participates.
Attendance records shall be kept by the Fire Chief of each company
and shall be reported monthly to the Administrator, who shall include
such reports in the Administrator's annual report to the Township
Committee. Every member shall also satisfactorily complete all training
requirements as may be prescribed by the Fire Chiefs and by the Township
Committee. Failure of any member to comply with these requirements
shall be evidence of neglect of duty, for which the company may impose
discipline.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
The Fire Chiefs shall have authority to enter upon, at a reasonable
hour, any building used for public purposes or any building wherein
three or more persons are employed, for the purposes of inspecting
it for possible fire hazards therein and familiarizing themselves
with the interior and contents thereof for the protection of members
of the companies should they be called upon to enter the building.
Such fire inspections shall also include inspection of the building
water supply and distribution system and evaluation of its usefulness
for firefighting. A report shall be made of every inspection, and
copies thereof shall be given to the Construction Official and the
other Fire Chief. The substance of the report, along with any safety
or fire prevention recommendations, shall be discussed with the owner
and/or occupant of the building. All fire inspections authorized by
this section shall be coordinated with the Department of Construction,
UCC and Inspections.
No fire apparatus shall be taken outside the limits of the Township for fire, emergency duty or any other purpose without order of the Fire Chief, or of the person designated by such Fire Chief or designee to act for the Fire Chief; of the company owning such apparatus. In such event, such Fire Chief shall be responsible for making adequate arrangements to protect the area of the Township for which the fire company has primary responsibility, pursuant to §
81-2, and shall notify the other Fire Chief of the use of the fire company's apparatus outside the Township as far in advance as is feasible.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as creating an agency
relationship between the Township and either volunteer fire company;
provided that, should the Township Committee by ordinance contract
with such volunteer fire company or companies, the members of such
company or companies shall be under the supervision and control of
the Township and in performing fire duty shall be deemed to be exercising
a governmental function.
[Added 9-27-2004 by Ord.
No. 2004-20]
A. Establishment of Ambulance Squad.
There is hereby established an organization known as the "Bordentown
Township Emergency Medical Services" ("BTEMS") under the authority
of Bordentown Township Fire District No. 2. The objective of the Ambulance
Squad is the protection and preservation of life by providing emergency
medical services.
B. Third-party billing.
(1) The Township of Bordentown,
in order to support the BTEMS and the volunteer squads comprising
it, shall bill for ambulance and transportation services provided
by the BTEMS. The rates of such services shall currently be set as
follows:
[Amended 9-8-2008 by Ord.
No. 2008-22; 2-8-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-2; 2-28-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-4; 9-26-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-21; 4-8-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-5; 7-20-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-11; 2-26-2018 by Ord. No.
2018-6]
(a) A fee of $800, plus $17
per laden mile, calculated one way shall be charged to all persons
receiving emergency medical services or ambulance transport services
by BTEMS. A fee in the amount of $200 for each treatment without transport.
(b) An additional fee for the
administration of the following will be incurred:
[1] Disposable cervical
collar: $45.
[2] Oxygen administration:
$65.
[3] Narcan administration:
$95.
[4] EpiPen® administration: $150.
[5] CPAP administration:
$95.
[6] Aspirin administration:
$3.
(2) These charges shall be billed
to the insurance company of the resident or party receiving assistance
from the BTEMS. The rates set herein shall be reviewed annually by
the Township Administrator and the Chairman, Board of Fire Commissioners,
District No. 2, of the volunteer-emergency squad. The Township Administrator
in consultation with the Chairman may thereafter recommend to the
Township Committee that the rate schedule be altered by resolution
of the Township Committee to reflect appropriate increases or decreases.
(3) The Township of Bordentown
shall obtain services for the mailing and enforcement of these billings,
which services shall be obtained through public bidding if required
under the Local Public Contracts Law. The Township Administrator may grant relief from these
billings based on hardship.