Municipality of Princeton, NJ Discipline

(a)

Any volunteer member of the department, including a member who is an officer, while on duty, who shall refuse or negligently fail to obey or execute any order from the officer(s) in charge of any fire, emergency or nonemergency activity in which the Princeton fire department has been called, shall, for such offense, be subject to discipline from a warning to a suspension or termination from the department in such manner and upon such hearing as may be prescribed by the SOGs of the Princeton fire department and Princeton personnel policies (as applicable). A terminated or suspended volunteer member shall be entitled to an appeal hearing in accordance with the procedures set forth in subsection T8-12(c).

(b)

For other offenses or causes, a volunteer member of the department may be subject to discipline by the fire chief, in consultation with the assistant chief, from a warning to a suspension or termination from the department in such manner and upon such hearing as may be prescribed by the SOGs of the Princeton fire department and Princeton personnel policies (as applicable). A terminated or suspended volunteer member shall be entitled to an appeal hearing in accordance with the procedures set forth in subsection T8-12(c).

(c)

A volunteer member who is terminated or suspended may appeal the termination or suspension by requesting a hearing before an appeals committee. The appeals committee shall consist of the presidents of the three companies and two career members selected by the three presidents. If a company president is not available, then that company's vice president shall serve on the committee. Any request for appeal shall be made in writing and submitted to the fire chief no more than fourteen business days after the effective date of the suspension or termination. The hearing shall be informal and shall take place no more than thirty days after the filing of the appeal. All individuals serving on the appeals committee shall participate in the appeal hearing. The appeals committee may affirm, reverse or modify the decision appealed from; that decision shall be final.

(a)

No career member shall be removed from office, employment or position, or suspended, removed, fined or reduced in rank from or in office, employment or position, except as provided by the Princeton personnel policies (as applicable), SOGs and applicable law, including but not limited to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-19 through N.J.S.A. 40A:14-23 (inclusive) and N.J.S.A. 40A:14-28.1.

(b)

The administrator or administrator's designee shall serve as hearing officer and conduct any hearing on the removal, suspension, fining or reduction in rank of any career member.