Unless otherwise specified in or ordered pursuant to any provision of this article, a member granted special leave of absence as hereinafter provided in this article shall be entitled to be paid at the full rate and to have such special leave treated as exclusive of his or her regular annual leave of absence allowed under §
48-35 and as exclusive of his or her sick leave under Article
VII of this chapter.
Each member of the Department may be allowed special leave of absence of not more than five days per year necessitated by illness of or serious accident to a person in the member's immediate family. A member's immediate family shall be deemed to mean his or her wife, child, father, mother, sister, brother, grandfather, grandmother or any other person making his or her home with the member's family in such degree as to cause him or her to be regarded as a member of the family. Application for such leave shall be in writing addressed to the Chief. Any such leave shall be charged against the regular annual leave of absence of such member allowed under §
48-35.
The Township Manager may grant special leave of absence to a member of the Department not to exceed five days in case of death in the immediate family of such member. Immediate family shall be deemed to include the persons mentioned in §
48-37. In case of death of a member's relative of more remote degree (uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, cousin or in-laws), special leave of one day may be granted upon proper application to the Chief.
The Chief may grant, in cases of emergency only,
special leave of absence to members of the Department for a period
not to exceed three days. The Chief shall report each such case promptly
to the Township Manager.
The Township Manager may grant a member of the Department other or additional special leaves of absence for appropriate reasons, upon his or her written application. The application shall contain an accurate and definite statement of the reasons for requesting such leave. Misrepresentation in such request shall be severely punished. No special leave granted under this section shall exceed two weeks except with the authority of the Township Council, declared in a resolution. In each case under this section, the Township Manager shall determine whether or not such special leave shall be with or without pay and whether or not such special leave shall be charged in whole or in part against the regular annual leave of absence of such member allowed under §
48-35.
Prior to absenting themselves on any leave granted
under this chapter, members shall notify the Chief of their address
while on leave.
Members shall be held strictly responsible for
any disorderly, disgraceful or unlawful conduct while on any leave
granted under this chapter.