[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Village of Ridgefield Park 5-24-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-06. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A. 
A stipend program is hereby established to encourage the active recruitment, retention and participation of active members of the Ridgefield Park Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
B. 
Effective April 1, 2022, there shall be a stipend program established to compensate volunteer emergency responders of the Ridgefield Park Volunteer Ambulance Corps for their loyal, diligent and devoted services to the residents of the Village of Ridgefield Park.
C. 
This program shall be implemented and monitored by the Board of Commissioners in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer.
D. 
The program established by this Chapter shall apply only to volunteer emergency responders of the Ridgefield Park Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
E. 
This stipend program shall not affect the LOSAP Program as contained in Chapter 62 of the Village Code.
This program shall provide for a quarterly stipend on a per-shift basis for each volunteer member that meets the criteria set forth below. Such stipend shall be made in accordance with a plan that shall be established by the Village of Ridgefield Park and which shall be administered in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, and United States Internal Revenue Code and this chapter.
A. 
The stipend for each eligible volunteer member shall be per the criteria set forth in § 378-4B.
B. 
Payment shall be made directly to the eligible member.
C. 
Quarterly payment shall be made to the eligible member on or before May 31, August 31, November 30 and January 31.
A. 
The quarters shall be the following:
(1) 
First quarter: January, February and March.
(2) 
Second quarter: April, May and June.
(3) 
Third quarter: July, August and September.
(4) 
Fourth quarter: October, November and December.
B. 
Criteria for payment of the quarterly stipend to active volunteer members shall be as set forth in the attached Schedule A.
C. 
Volunteer ambulance corps members on military leave or on medical leave resulting from an injury related to service as a volunteer of the ambulance corps shall be entitled to the full quarterly stipend.
D. 
Volunteer ambulance corps members on personal leave, nonservice-related medical leave, scholastic leave or suspended from volunteer service are not eligible for the quarterly stipend.
E. 
Volunteer ambulance corps members who join the organization or change their status during the quarter will become eligible to receive a stipend immediately.
F. 
The applicable Commissioner-in-Charge, in consultation with the Chief, shall have the authority to approve payment of the quarterly stipend to active volunteer members who may not otherwise qualify due to extraordinary and/or exceptional circumstances.
A. 
The Ridgefield Park Volunteer Ambulance Corps shall maintain sufficient records, suitable to the Village to provide for the maintenance of this program and to ensure accurate and complete reporting of volunteer attendance.
B. 
It shall be the duty of the Stipend Coordinator to see that those records are produced on a monthly basis for calculations and determination as to which members are eligible to receive the quarterly stipend.
C. 
Members who do not agree with the monthly totals are to be referred the Stipend Coordinator. If the member disagrees with the calculations by the Stipend Coordinator, he or she may appeal to the Chief for resolution. The Chief will review and conduct an audit of all documentation and confer with the Stipend Coordinator prior to rendering a decision.
A. 
The Commissioner-in-Charge shall appoint a Stipend Coordinator. The Stipend Coordinator may be, but does not need to be, a member of the Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
B. 
The Stipend Coordinator shall prepare the monthly records for calculations, maintain records and files of eligible members and prepare quarterly reports, and submit same to the Chief and Commissioner-in-Charge.
C. 
All monthly reports and quarterly reports listing each member's totals shall be maintained by the Stipend Coordinator and said reports shall be posted at the Ambulance Corps headquarters.
D. 
The Stipend Coordinator shall submit to the Village Finance Department a quarterly report for payment to eligible members. The quarterly report shall be submitted by the Stipend Coordinator to the Village Finance Department on or before April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31.
E. 
The Stipend Coordinator shall be entitled to a stipend set forth in the attached Schedule A.
Nothing in this program is intended to change the status of the Ridgefield Park Volunteer Ambulance Corps, it being the intent and purpose herein that this organization shall remain as a volunteer organization.
A. 
Nothing in this program is intended to create an employer-employee relationship between a Volunteer Ambulance Corps member and the Village. No person receiving a stipend under these regulations shall be considered an employee of the Village.
B. 
The payment of any stipend does not change the status of any volunteer. Volunteers are not employees of the Village of Ridgefield Park. Stipend payments shall conform to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA)(29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq.) requirements as set forth by interpretative guidance promulgated by the United States Department of Labor (DOL) and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL).
Nothing in this program will entitle any Volunteer Ambulance Corps member to health and prescription benefits, pension or other like benefits provided by the Village to its full-time employees.
Quarterly payments shall be made in accordance with standard Village payroll procedures.
Schedule A: Volunteer Ambulance Corps Stipend Criteria
Stipend Type
Maximum Stipend (payable quarterly)
Shift (*scheduled shifts, general calls and event coverage)
$50 per shift (maximum 2 stipends per shift)
Per call when not on shift
$20 (at the discretion of the Commissioner-in-Charge)
Stipend Coordinator
$1,250 per year
Clothing
8 shifts - $80
12 shifts - $180
35 shifts - $525
52 shifts - $1,000
Meals
$30 per shift
(maximum 2 stipends per shift)
Course travel
$10/session for courses held in Bergen County
$20/session for courses held outside Bergen County
No reimbursement for travel if course is within 5 miles of Ridgefield Park
In addition to the foregoing, active members of the Volunteer Ambulance Corps shall be further entitled to the clothing and meal allowances set forth in the attached Schedule A. Such amounts shall be payable quarterly.
In addition to the foregoing, active members of the Volunteer Ambulance Corps shall be further entitled to the course travel allowance set forth in the attached Schedule A. Such amounts shall be payable quarterly on completion of course.
A. 
All course enrollments must be preapproved by Chief and included on the list of approved courses for the members of the Ridgefield Park Ambulance Corps. This list is maintained by the EMS Training Officer.
B. 
All submissions for course stipends and travel reimbursements shall be made upon completion of the applicable course. A signed voucher form with course information will be submitted with the certificate of course completion to the Chief for approval.