[Adopted 12-28-1967 as Ch. 23 of the 1967 Code]
A Fire Department of the Borough of Allendale be and the same is hereby created and established, coextensive with the territorial limits of said Borough.
There shall be appointed by the Mayor a committee consisting of three members of the Borough Council, to be known as the Fire Committee, and said Committee shall have full charge and control of the Fire Department and all of the fire equipment belonging to the Borough.
The use of any fire apparatus or equipment belonging to the Borough shall be entrusted to the Allendale Fire Department, or such companies thereof as may hereafter be organized and made parts of said Department.
Said companies shall be limited to a membership not to exceed 50 members in each company.
The members and officers of the Allendale Fire Association who shall sign the membership roll of the Allendale Fire Department and promise to perform the duties of firemen as prescribed by the bylaws of the companies shall become members of the Allendale Fire Department.
[Amended 7-26-1973; 2-14-1985; 10-13-1988; 8-23-2012]
A. 
No person shall be a member of the Allendale Fire Department unless he shall be:
(1) 
A resident of the Borough of Allendale; or
(2) 
A nonresident, full-time Borough employee and over the age of 18; or
(3) 
Is an active firefighter in a fire department of another municipality and is employed in the Borough of Allendale; or
(4) 
Resides in a municipality that borders or is within a three-mile radius of Allendale, except as hereinafter provided.
B. 
In the event that an active member no longer resides in the Borough of Allendale, such active membership shall cease and become an associate membership, unless the active member is a full-time Borough employee or establishes a legal residence in one of the municipalities that borders or is within a three-mile radius of the Borough of Allendale and he/she requests retention of active membership status.
The officers of the Fire Department shall consist of a Chief and Assistant Chief.
The officers of each company shall consist of a Captain and Lieutenant and such other officers as may be provided for in the bylaws. The Chief and Assistant Chief shall be elected by the members of the Department, shall hold office for one year and shall be chosen by ballot at the annual meeting of said companies as hereinafter provided; the election of said Chief and Assistant Chief shall be confirmed by the Borough Council before they shall be entitled to hold office.
In case the Borough Council shall refuse to confirm the election of any Chief or Assistant Chief, the Mayor of the Borough shall appoint a Chief or Assistant Chief to hold office until such officers are elected by the companies and confirmed by the Borough Council.
It shall be the duty of the Chief to submit a report to the Borough Council at its first regular meeting in each month, showing the condition of the Fire Department and of the apparatus and any other matters concerning the Department he may deem necessary.
[Amended 8-24-1972; 6-9-1983; 11-10-1983; 9-23-1993]
A. 
The election of Chief and Assistant Chief shall be held at the firehouse by each company in the Borough at the annual meeting on the second Friday in November of each year at the hour set forth in the bylaws of the Fire Department unless otherwise designated by special notice mailed to all members at least three days before such meeting. Two members from each company shall represent such company at such election to act as tellers. A Chairman shall be elected at such election, who shall be judge of the election, and he shall appoint two tellers from each company. Such election shall be by ballot, and the person receiving the highest number of votes shall be duly declared elected.
B. 
Any member, eligible to vote and unable to be present at the annual meeting in November for good and sufficient reasons, shall be entitled to receive an absentee ballot. Absentee ballots shall be available Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the week prior to the annual meeting from the member appointed by the President and shall be returned prior to the annual meeting in a sealed envelope marked "Secret Ballot." In case of a runoff election, only the members present will be counted. Each member receiving an absentee ballot shall sign for the same.
In case of any vacancy from any cause in the office of Chief, the Assistant Chief shall perform the duties of Chief, and the Mayor shall appoint an Assistant Chief for the unexpired term, subject to approval of the Council.
The Chief shall have complete charge of all fire apparatus during any fire and charge of all companies and shall have power to order drills whenever he shall deem it necessary, and at all drills and parades the companies and members shall be subject to the orders of the Chief.
In case of disobedience of any members of the Department, the Chief shall make complaint to the Fire Committee of the Borough Council, who shall have the right to hear the same, and if charges are sustained, the Fire Committee may suspend or expel such member from the Department on approval of Borough Council.
In case any company is not needed at a fire, it shall be the duty of the Chief to immediately send notice to such company.
[Amended 8-24-1972]
The bylaws of said companies, a copy of which shall be on file with the Borough Clerk, shall be subject to the approval of the Borough Council on all matters pertaining to the active organization involving firematics or where an expenditure of Borough funds is involved. All changes in the bylaws not involving firematics or the expenditure of Borough funds shall be subject only to approval by the membership of the Allendale Fire Association, and notification of any such changes shall be made to the Borough Council, to be placed on file with the Borough Clerk.
The Borough Council reserves the right to further alter or amend bylaws as it shall see fit.
Each member of said companies, upon signing the roll of said Department, shall be entitled to receive a badge of the Fire Department. Said badge shall remain the property of the Borough and be surrendered to the Council on the death, removal, resignation, suspension or expulsion of any member.
The services rendered by the members of said Department shall be voluntary to the Borough of Allendale and the residents thereof.
[Amended 6-30-2022 by Ord. No. 22-06]
Such members and officers of the Allendale Fire Association, a voluntary organization now existing, as shall sign the roll and become members of the Borough Fire Department, as herein provided, shall retain their respective offices and membership for one year; provided, however, that any of said officers may be removed from office at any time by the Borough Council for neglect of duty or other just cause, after charges thereof are made and sustained.