[Adopted 11-6-1974 by Ord. No. 992
as Ch. 26, Art. I of the 1967 Code]
[Amended 10-22-2001 by Ord. No. 1765]
A. A pension not to exceed the sum of $6,200 annually shall be paid
to the widow of any volunteer fireman who may die as the result of injuries
sustained in the performance of duty as a member of the Volunteer Fire Department,
as long as she shall not remarry, or to the minor child or children of such
fireman, if he leaves no widow surviving him, or to said minor child or children
after the death of such widow and until such minor child or children shall
attain his or their majority.
B. The pension provided for herein shall be subject to annual adjustments
based on the percentage increase in the cost of living, the first such adjustment
to be made in January 2006. The annual adjustment shall be computed by determining
the percentage increase in the CPI index from December 2004 (the base CPI)
and the CPI index for December of each successive year, beginning with December
2005. That percentage increase shall be multiplied by the pension amount paid
by the Borough in Year 2005 to determine the increase in the amount of the
pension payable in the next calendar year, beginning January 2006. For purposes
of this section, the term "CPI index" shall mean the consumer price index
published by the federal government for urban wage owners and clerical workers
in the New York-Northeastern New Jersey area.
[Added 12-12-2005 by Ord. No. 1959]
The payment of such pension shall become effective if and when such
fireman shall die as a result of injuries sustained in the course of performance
of duty as a member of the Volunteer Fire Department and upon the passage
of a resolution providing for the payment of such pension by the governing
body.
In the event of the occurrence of such event, and after the passage
of such resolution, the governing body shall make provision, in its annual
budget, for the payment of such pension and the same shall be paid in the
same manner as municipal employees are paid.
The initial payment of such pension shall be made after the passage
of a resolution providing for the payment of such pension by the governing
body and shall take effect as of the date of death of such volunteer fireman.
[Adopted 11-6-1974 by Ord. No. 992
as Ch. 26, Art. II of the 1967 Code]
In the event of death of any eligible member of the Ridgefield Volunteer
Fire Department who is not entitled to and who has previously waived the benefits,
including the death benefit, of the New Jersey State Firemen's Association,
the widow or other next of kin of such deceased fireman shall be entitled
to receive from the Borough of Ridgefield an amount equal to that amount provided
by the death benefit at the time of the demise of the eligible member of the
Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department of the New Jersey State Firemen's
Association.
Coverage under this article shall be deemed to include all active members
of the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department as of the effective date of this
article and, in addition, those persons who may become active members of the
Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department subsequent to the effective date of this
article who are not, or will not, be entitled to and who have waived, or will
in the future waive, the benefits, including the death benefits, of the New
Jersey State Firemen's Association.
The same standards and regulations regarding eligibility for claims
for death benefits provided in the Rules, Constitution and Bylaws of the New
Jersey State Firemen's Association, including, but not limited to, those
provided in Article 8, General Relief Fund Rules, of the New Jersey State
Firemen's Association, shall be applicable with regard to eligibility
for benefits under this article.