[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Hampton 7-25-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-5. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
False alarms and alarm devices — See Ch. 60.
Fire prevention — See Ch. 61.
[Amended 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
There is hereby established within the Township of Hampton, Sussex County, New Jersey, a Volunteer Fire Department organized and incorporated under an act of the legislation of New Jersey, entitled "An Act for the Incorporation of Fire Companies" L. 1876, c. 176 pg. 286, as amended.[1] The Hampton Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., is recognized as the Township's official volunteer fire company for the purpose of providing fire protection and other emergency services. The Hampton Township First Responders shall be a subsidiary of the Fire Department and is recognized as the Township's official volunteer medical response services to persons who may experience injury or illness within the Township.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. Val.:5-26.1.
The Department shall be known as the "Hampton Township Volunteer Fire Department."
[Amended 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
The Fire Department shall consist of all duly enrolled active members as shown on the enrollment books of the Department on the date of final passage of this chapter and such other members as may be thereafter be elected by the Department and duly approved and qualified under the provisions of this chapter by the bylaws of the Department. Any person seeking to join either the Hampton Township Volunteer Fire Department or any of its subsidiaries shall make application for membership, which application shall be considered in accordance with the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the Department and or any subsidiary of the Department into which membership is sought and any applicable state statutes. After approval of membership and confirmation by the Township Committee, the member's name shall be entered on the rolls kept by the Township Clerk pursuant to § 12-6 and shall indicate to which class and/or unit of membership the new member has been accepted.
[Amended 7-31-2001 by Ord. No. 2001-5]
The membership of the Fire Department shall elect from its own members a qualified Chief responsible for all firematics activities of the Department and a qualified Chief responsible for all nonrelated firematics requirements to run the department, and other such officers as set forth in the bylaws of the Department.
It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Department to report, in writing, the exact membership, giving full names and residences of the members, to the Township Clerk of the Township of Hampton on the first day of February in each year. The membership roll shall be certified by the Chief or superior line officer of the Department. The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of the Department, of all appointments and transfers, resignations or removals of firemen belonging to said Department and all the members of the Department who shall attend each alarm fire, which record shall be open to the Mayor and Township Committee for inspection at any time.
The Township Clerk shall keep an accurate muster roll of the active members of the Department and shall issue a certificate of membership in the Township of Hampton Volunteer Fire Department to each member elected.
The Department may have such other classes of members as may be prescribed by their respective constitutions and bylaws and may prescribe such qualifications and may grant to each class such privileges as they desire so long as same are consistent with the provisions of this chapter.
The Department may provide for the establishment of auxiliaries. Such auxiliary shall be a subsidiary of and subordinate to the Department which created it and subject to the constitution and bylaws of the Department. However, such auxiliary members shall not perform any duties nor have any of the powers of active firemen except first aid or disaster relief.
[Amended 8-29-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-11]
The Department shall nominate drivers for the apparatus to be furnished by the Township. No person shall be nominated unless he is a licensed automobile driver with a valid license and has had appropriate training, including the state-approved Defensive Driving Course, and experience in the operation and driving of the apparatus. Said drivers shall be designated when nominated, by numbers (i.e., first driver, second driver, etc.), and the names of the persons so nominated shall be submitted to the Township Committee for approval. No person shall be approved to drive an ambulance unless he or she shall have attained the age of 19 years. No person shall be approved to drive fire apparatus unless he or she shall have attained the age of 21 years. No person shall operate or drive the apparatus furnished the Department by the Township of Hampton other than a regular driver except in great emergency and by order of the Chief or superior line officer of the Department.
It shall be the duty of the persons so designated as drivers to regularly and frequently inspect said apparatus and to see that the same is provided with fuel, water, oil and other supplies necessary to keep said apparatus in readiness for instant operation, and said drivers shall perform such other duties as may be necessary or provided by rules and regulations.
Each active member of the Fire Department shall perform the duty in the answering of fire alarms and such other duties as required by the Department bylaws, unless excused.
A. 
The companies shall be equipped with such apparatus and other equipment as may be required from time to time to maintain their efficiency and properly protect life and property from fire.
B. 
The procurement of all fire prevention material shall be vested in the Mayor and Township Committee of the Township of Hampton.
C. 
Recommendations for apparatus and equipment needed shall be made by the respective Chief or superior line officer of the Department to the Mayor and Township Committee at such time and manner as the Mayor and Township Committee determines.
No person shall enter any place where fire apparatus is housed nor handle any equipment, property or apparatus belonging to the Department unless accompanied by or having the special permission of an officer or authorized member of the Department.
All active members of the Department who are engaged in carrying out their respective duties under this chapter are hereby given the necessary police powers for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter. These police powers shall be in addition to those to be exercised by the New Jersey State Police and any other agency of the municipality for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter and in compliance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-54 and 40A:14-54.1.
[Amended 10-10-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-7]
A. 
The Chief or superior line officer of the Department shall keep a permanent record of the alarms of fire and drill attendance of each member of his Department, a copy of which shall be submitted annually to the Mayor and Township Committee at the close of each year.
B. 
On or before January 15 of each year, the Chief shall submit to the Mayor and Township Committee a record of all of the Fire Department income and expenses for the prior calendar year, together with the proposed budget for the current year.
The Chief or superior line officer of the Department shall drill and instruct his company at least once a month.
Every person shall, by joining any volunteer company, agree to release the Township of Hampton from any liability for injury incurred in the course of performance of his duty, except for such recovery as may be allowed under the insurance coverages maintained by the Township.
[Added 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
The Department may enact such incident command structures as may be appropriate and authorized by state regulation and policy of the National Fire Protection Association or similar body. During any emergency within the Township in which either the Hampton Township Volunteer Fire Department or Hampton Township First Responders are called out, the incident commander of either unit may, in the performance of his or her duties and as may be necessary for the protection of health, life, and property, prohibit persons, vehicles, or other objects from approaching the scene of the emergency and may remove or cause to be removed from the scene any person, vehicle, or object that may impede or interfere with operations of the Hampton Township Volunteer Fire Department or Hampton Township First Responders.
[Added 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
It shall be unlawful for any persons to interfere with, attempt to interfere with or obstruct or restrict the mobility of any member of the Hampton Township Volunteer Fire Department or Hampton Township First Responders performing their duties pursuant to this chapter, including vehicles employed by such members in the performance of their duties.
[Amended 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both, in the discretion of a court of competent jurisdiction. Each and every day that such violation shall continue shall be a further and separate offense under the terms of this chapter, subject to the penalties herein prescribed.