[Amended 12-14-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-23]
There is hereby created and established a fire department for
the Township of Maple Shade, hereinafter referred to as "Township
Fire Department," or "Fire Department," which shall consist of such
members, officers and personnel as the governing body shall deem necessary
for the effective government of the Fire Department. The governing
body is the appropriate authority to exercise legislative authority
to:
A. Provide for the maintenance, regulation and control of the Township
Fire Department.
B. Adopt and promulgate the rules and regulations for the government
of the Fire Department.
C. Determine the terms of office of the members, officers, and personnel,
fix their compensation, and prescribe their powers, functions, and
duties, all as the governing body shall deem necessary for the effective
government of the Fire Department.
D. Authorize the following volunteer fire company(ies) to comprise the
firefighting force:
E. There shall be appointed, by resolution of the Township Council,
firefighters who shall be volunteer employees and part-time employees
of the Maple Shade Fire Department. Said employees shall be hired
in conformance with civil service regulations and applicable state
laws.
F. The Township shall provide liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance covering any member of the volunteer fire company(ies) identified in §
16-1D above.
G. No person shall be appointed as a member of the Maple Shade Fire
Department unless the individual is a minimum of 18 years of age,
possesses a high school diploma or equivalency certificate, is a legal
citizen of the United States, and has been processed through a comprehensive
background investigation and criminal history inquiry. Said appointee(s)
of the Maple Shade Fire Department shall be physically fit to perform
the duties of a firefighter in accordance with NFPA 1001, such fitness
to be evidenced by a certificate to that effect by a physician duly
licensed to practice medicine in the State of New Jersey.
H. Fire police. The Fire Chief of the Maple Shade Fire Department may
designate such fire police as he/she shall deem necessary. Each fire
police person so designated shall serve for a term of one year. The
fire police shall have all authority designated within N.J.S.A. 15:8-1
et seq. The Fire Chief shall notify the Fire Department Administrator
and Fire Marshal of those individuals named as fire police. Persons
designated to be fire police shall be sworn in before the Council.
Fire police shall receive training in crowd control and in traffic
control and shall be issued distinctive safety clothing and equipment
approved by the Fire Department Administrator and the Fire Chief.
At the scene of a fire emergency, the fire police shall also have
the following rights and duties:
(1) Enforce the removal of obstructions to the Fire Company in the performance
of its duties.
(2) Direct traffic at the scene of a fire emergency.
(3) Control crowds at the scene of a fire emergency.
(4) Take possession of goods in a fire emergency and protect the premises
from access by unauthorized persons until the arrival of the owner.
[Amended 12-14-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-23]
All vehicles, fire apparatus, command and support vehicles,
and fire service equipment shall be purchased by the Township of Maple
Shade and be owned by the Township of Maple Shade, assigned to be
utilized by the personnel authorized as part of the Fire Department.
The rules and regulations of the Maple Shade Fire Department
shall be the standard operating procedures, standard operating guidelines,
orders of the Fire Chief, and municipal procedures and directives.
[Amended 12-14-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-23]
The Township Manager shall appoint the Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, Battalion Fire Chief, the Fire Marshal, and Fire Inspector(s), and all other line and engineering officers. Said appointments shall be made on January 1 of each year as formally recommended by the volunteer fire company(ies) identified in §
16-1D above, with the approval of the governing body.
A. The Fire Chief shall meet the following qualifications for appointment:
(1) State of New Jersey Incident Management System Level I certification.
(2) State of New Jersey Hazardous Materials On Scene Commander certification.
(3) National Incident Management System I-100.c and IS-700.b course completion.
(4) Fire Chief recommended certifications for appointment:
(a)
State of New Jersey Fire Officer III certification.
(b)
State of New Jersey Incident Management Level III certification.
(c)
State of New Jersey Fire Instructor Level I certification.
(d)
National Incident Management System IS-800.d course completion.
B. The Deputy Fire Chief shall meet the following qualifications for
appointment:
(1) State of New Jersey Incident Management System Level I certification.
(2) State of New Jersey Hazardous Materials On Scene Commander certification.
(3) National Incident Management System I-100.c and IS-700.b course completion.
(4) Deputy Fire Chief recommended certifications for appointment:
(a)
State of New Jersey Fire Officer II certification.
(b)
State of New Jersey Incident Management System Level II certification.
(c)
State of New Jersey Fire Instructor Level I certification.
(d)
National Incident Management System IS-800.d course completion.
C. The Battalion Fire Chief shall meet the following qualifications
for appointment:
(1) State of New Jersey Incident Management System Level I certification.
(2) State of New Jersey Hazardous Materials On Scene Commander certification.
(3) National Incident Management System I-100.c and IS-700.b course completion.
(4) Battalion Fire Chief recommended certifications for appointment:
(a)
State of New Jersey Fire Officer II certification.
(b)
State of New Jersey Incident Management System Level II certification.
(c)
State of New Jersey Fire Instructor Level I certification.
(d)
National Incident Management System IS-800.d course completion.
D. Fire Captains, Fire Lieutenants and engineering officers shall meet
the following qualifications for appointment:
(1) State of New Jersey Incident Management System Level I certification.
(2) State of New Jersey Hazardous Materials On Scene Commander certification.
(3) National Incident Management System IS-700.b course completion.
(4) Fire Captain, Fire Lieutenant, and engineering recommended certifications
for appointment:
(a)
State of New Jersey Fire Officer I certification.
(b)
State of New Jersey Fire Instructor Level I certification.
(c)
National Incident Management System IS-800.d course completion.
E. The Fire Marshal (Fire Official) shall meet the following qualifications
for appointment:
(1) State of New Jersey Fire Official certification.
(2) Fire Marshal (Fire Official) recommended certifications for appointment:
(a)
State of New Jersey Incident Management System Level I certification.
(b)
State of New Jersey Hazardous Materials On Scene Commander certification.
(c)
National Incident Management System IS-700.b course completion.
F. Fire Inspector(s) shall meet the following qualifications for appointment:
(1) State of New Jersey Fire Inspector certification.
The Township Council, Township Manager, and Fire Department
Administrator shall work with the Fire Chief annually on the formation
and adoption of a Fire Department budget, and throughout the fiscal
year for the purposes of funding the Fire Department operation and
eliminating any need for volunteer fire company fundraising efforts.
A. Establish a budget for the operating expenses of the Fire Department,
to be the minimum provided for firefighting purposes, to include,
but not limited to, payment for insurance, the purchase of Class A
and Class B uniforms, the purchase of equipment and other materials
determined to be essential to the operation of the Fire Department,
maintenance and repair of firefighting equipment, apparatus and vehicles,
education and training of Fire Department personnel.
B. Provide for the replacement of durable goods and equipment, apparatus
and vehicles under an annual capital improvement program that is a
component of the municipal budget.
C. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-33 and N.J.S.A. 40A:14-34, the Township of Maple Shade and the volunteer fire company(ies) identified in §
16-1D above shall execute annually a binding grant agreement between parties to authorize the annual transfer of public funds from the Township of Maple Shade to the volunteer fire company(ies) identified in §
16-1D above.
[Amended 12-14-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-23]