[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Passaic 5-17-2004 by Ord. No. 1614-04. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Fire Department — See Ch. 19.
Police Department — See Ch. 39.
Police and fire equipment — See Ch. 215.
The purpose of this chapter is to establish standards for the operation of volunteer first aid, rescue and ambulance squads within the City of Passaic, and to ensure that these squads operate in a safe manner while leaving the City free from liability.
The following definitions shall apply to this chapter:
VOLUNTEER FIRST AID, RESCUE OR AMBULANCE SQUAD
A first aid, rescue or ambulance squad that does not bill or receive payment for services rendered. Whether the individual members of a squad provide their services for free or are compensated by the squad is irrelevant to a squad's volunteer status.
[Amended 7-17-2007 by Ord. No. 1726-07]
A. 
All volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squads which directly serve residents of the City of Passaic shall have their rescue equipment and vehicle inspected by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services when they inspect the City of Passaic ambulance equipment and vehicles on an annual basis. No volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squad shall operate within the City of Passaic unless its vehicle and equipment passes the inspection of the state for certification of vehicle(s), equipment and personnel as required for the City under N.J.A.C. 8:40-2.5(d).
B. 
This inspection is not required for volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squads that do not directly serve residents of the City of Passaic but which do transport residents of other municipalities to medical facilities within the City of Passaic.
C. 
The senior member of the Emergency Medical Services or his designee shall serve as the individual responsible for monitoring volunteer first aid, rescue and ambulance squads. The senior member of the Emergency Medical Services is authorized to establish rules and regulations concerning the inspection of these vehicles. No fee shall be charged for these inspections by the City of Passaic.
No volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squad shall receive certification to operate within the City of Passaic without first executing an agreement with the City that it will defend, indemnify and hold the City harmless against liability for any and all claims for damage to property or injury to or death of persons arising out of or resulting from the operation of the volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squads within the City of Passaic. All volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squads shall maintain a general liability insurance policy in the amount of $2,000,000, which shall name the City of Passaic as an additional named insured.
All ambulances or other vehicles used by a volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squad to transport individuals for medical assistance shall meet all relevant and applicable standards adopted by the State of New Jersey Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) for licensing ambulances, as set forth in N.J.A.C. 8:40-1.1 et seq. Compliance with this section may be demonstrated by participating in any voluntary inspection program offered by OEMS.
All individuals serving on a volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squad shall maintain current certification from the State of New Jersey that they are qualified for the position in which they serve.
A volunteer first aid, rescue or ambulance squad in violation of any section of this chapter shall be subject to the general penalties set forth in § 1-3 of the Code of the City of Passaic.
[Added 4-6-2009 by Ord. No. 1796-09]
A. 
Except for an emergency or disaster as is defined by State Statute, App A:9-33.1, National Defense, the City of Passaic shall develop and maintain a list of qualified mutual aid agencies to provide mutual aid to the City when needed for ambulance services.
B. 
The City Council shall approve by resolution any additions or deletions necessary to this mutual aid list on an annual basis on April 15 of each year.
C. 
The mutual aid list does not imply that the City of Passaic has been involved in a process to monitor the ambulance to be called for the City of Passaic or to set the fees to be charged for that service. The City of Passaic shall not be liable for payment for this service.
D. 
The City of Passaic ambulance service shall provide mutual aid to other municipalities, as needed, for first aid, ambulance and rescue squad purposes.