[Adopted 9-7-1982 by L.L. No. 5-1982]
The Legislature of the County of Rockland believes
it to be in the public interest to be able to reimburse the municipalities
of Rockland County which border the Hudson River and those fire districts
which border the Hudson River for emergency services provided by the
aforesaid municipalities and fire districts which are often beyond
their fiscal capabilities. Municipalities may adopt local laws relating
to the safety, health and well-being of their residents, provided
that such local law is not inconsistent with the State Constitution
or a general law. Such a local law would be in furtherance of a legitimate
County purpose, which is to provide for the safety, health and welfare
of its residents. Since the river villages and the river fire districts
are often called upon to rescue County residents from the Hudson River
and often called upon to engage in searches for all County residents,
there is a legitimate County and legislative purpose in enacting such
a local law.
The Legislature of the County of Rockland is
hereby permitted to appropriate and expend, by resolution or budget
action, such sums of money as it deems proper and necessary in order
to reimburse those villages and fire districts which border on the
Hudson River for emergency rescue services provided by those municipalities
and fire districts for the benefit of all County residents.
[Adopted 9-2-2003 by Res. No. 479-2003]
A Rockland Community College Tuition Program
is hereby created for volunteer fire fighter recruitment through a
scholarship fund to be administered by the Rockland County Office
of Fire and Emergency Services in accordance with the following minimum
criteria.
The total scholarship amount awarded to any
student recruit shall not exceed the equivalent cost of tuition and
fees for four full-time semesters, or 60 credit hours. Scholarships
may be awarded on a full-time basis and may be prorated to take into
account other financial aid being received by the scholarship recipient.
All scholarship recipients shall:
A. Meet local membership requirements and be accepted
into an eligible Rockland County volunteer fire department or eligible
volunteer ambulance corps or volunteer emergency medical service squad,
as a new active member on or after September 1, 2002. The program
is a recruitment tool for new fire fighters and other new emergency
services volunteers, and existing fire fighters or former fire fighters
who have quit and decide to rejoin are not eligible;
B. Complete the Rockland Community College admissions
process, be accepted for enrollment as a matriculated student, and
maintain their status as a student in good standing at the college;
C. Apply for all other available sources of financial
aid through Rockland Community College and use the volunteer fire
fighter recruitment scholarship funds only to supplement any costs
not covered by other sources of financial aid; and
D. Agree to maintain acceptable volunteer fire fighter
activity and training levels while enrolled as a Rockland Community
College student and perform the following post-education service obligations.
(1) Post-education service obligations.
Receipt of Total Scholarship Funds Equivalent
to the Cost of
|
Obligation
|
---|
Tuition and fees for four full-time semesters
greater than 45 credit hours on a part-time basis or prorated basis
in the event of other financial aid
|
Five years following the receipt of total scholarship
funds
|
Tuition and fees for three full-time semesters
or greater than 30 credit hours on a part-time basis or prorated basis
in the event of other financial aid
|
Three years following the receipt of total scholarship
funds
|
Tuition for one or two full-time semesters or
between one and 15 credit hours on a part-time basis or prorated basis
in the event of other financial aid
|
Two years following the receipt of total scholarship
funds
|
(2) Service obligations shall apply regardless of attainment
of an associate degree. In the event that a scholarship recipient
fails to perform the required service or maintain his or her status
as a student in good standing at the college, he or she shall be required
to repay the scholarship money previously advanced on not less than
a prorated basis for the entire amount of incomplete post-education
service.
The scholarship program shall constitute a partnership
arrangement between the sponsoring volunteer fire department, volunteer
ambulance corps or volunteer emergency medical services squad and
the scholarship recipient. To ensure the overall success of the program,
it is imperative that each sponsoring department and scholarship recipient
collaborate on a plan for achieving operational and educational success
balancing commitments at home, work, school, and the fire department.
The objectives of the program shall include:
A. Creating a selection process which verifies that both
sponsoring department and Rockland Community College prequalification
requirements have been met;
B. Creating a selection process that is objective yet
flexible to meet the needs of the program;
C. Creating a selection process that results in the recruitment
of new volunteer fire fighters and other volunteer emergency workers
who would have not otherwise joined a fire department; and
D. Quantifying the actual need for volunteers in the
sponsoring fire departments and other volunteer emergency services.
The Rockland County Office of Fire and Emergency
Services is hereby authorized, empowered, and directed pursuant to
Section 11-3(A) of the Rockland County Charter, to issue and promulgate
such rules and regulations as shall be necessary and appropriate to
implement the provisions of this article.