[Adopted 1-7-1959; amended 11-4-1987 by Ord. No. V-140]
C.Â
Departmental medal of honor. The departmental medal of honor may
be awarded to a member of the Police Division or a member of the Fire
Division who, intelligently and in the line of police or fire duty,
outstandingly distinguishes himself by the performance of an act of
gallantry and intrepidity at imminent personal hazard of life, with
knowledge of risk assumed above and beyond the call of duty.
D.Â
Medal of honor. The medal of honor may be awarded to a municipal
employee or other person who outstandingly distinguishes himself or
herself by the performance of an act of gallantry and intrepidity,
at imminent personal hazard of life, with knowledge of the risk assumed.
The act performed by the municipal employee must be one that is beyond
his or her call of duty.
E.Â
Commendation.
(1)Â
Commendation may be awarded to a member of the Police Division or
a member of the Fire Division or a municipal employee for an involving
grave personal danger in the intelligent performance of duty or for
a highly creditable unusual police or fire accomplishment.
(2)Â
Commendation may be awarded to any person for an act of bravery at
imminent personal hazard to life.
F.Â
Insignia. The insignia for the recognition provided herein shall
consist of medals and breast bars as follows:
(1)Â
Departmental medal of honor: a circular bronze medal, in the center
of which is the Seal of the City of Hoboken surrounded by the circular
inscription "Police Division" or "Fire Division," City of Hoboken,
as the case may be, and the whole surrounded by a wreath of oak leaves
and acorns. On the reverse side of the medal appears the inscription
"For Valor," the name of the recipient and the year of the award,
enclosed within sprays of laurel, the whole surrounded by a wreath
of oak leaves and acorns. The medal is suspended by a ring from a
ribbon of green water silk, upon which are sprinkled 12 white stars
in cluster.
(2)Â
Medal of honor: a circular bronze medal, in the center of which is
the Seal of the City of Hoboken surrounded by a circular inscription
"Medal of Honor," City of Hoboken, and the whole surrounded by a wreath
of oak leaves and acorns. On the reverse side of the medal is the
appropriate inscription "For Valor," the name of the recipient and
the year of award, enclosed within sprays of laurel, the whole surrounded
by a wreath of oak leaves and acorns. The medal is suspended by a
ring from a ribbon of red, white and blue.
(3)Â
Commendation, Police and Fire Division members: a five-pointed bronze
embossed star affixed to the center of a gold bar finished in equal
divisions of green, white and blue enamel, separated with one-sixteenth-inch
bands of orange enamel.
(4)Â
Commendation, municipal employees and other persons: a suitably engraved
certificate bearing the Seal of the City of Hoboken, upon which shall
be inscribed the name of the recipient, a brief description of the
incident for which the award is made and the date thereof, and which
shall bear the signature of the Mayor of the City of Hoboken, attested
by the Municipal Clerk.
G.Â
Additional awards. Additional awards of the departmental medal of
honor (Police and Fire Divisions): Additional awards of the departmental
medal of honor to any recipient shall be indicated by a gold oak leaf
worn above the cluster of stars on the ribbon from which the medal
is suspended and by a similar oak leaf placed on the center of the
breast bar. Additional commendations (Police and Fire Divisions) will
be shown by an appropriate star placed on the prescribed breast bar
on the green and blue enamel. Not more than three stars should be
affixed on a bar. Additional bars will be used when necessary.
H.Â
Record of awards. All awards shall be recorded on the service record
of the Police Division, Fire Division or municipal department, as
the case may be.
I.Â
Wearing of insignia. Medals and bars shall be worn on the left breast
of the coat to the right of and in a line horizontal with the upper
point of the shield. A bar or bars denoting a departmental award shall
be worn on the left breast in a line horizontal with the upper points
of the shield, the center of the bar or bars 1/4 inch above the center
of the shield.
J.Â
Recommendations for awards: Police and Fire Divisions. The Chief
of the Police Division or the Chief of the Fire Division, as the case
may be, shall carefully investigate all cases occurring within their
respective commands of special faithfulness to duty, exceptional skill
and bravery in the performance of duty and where first aid has been
rendered by any member of their command. The Chief of the respective
Division involved shall transmit to the Director of the Division of
Public Safety a report of his investigation, with a recommendation.
Upon receipt of the report, the Director of the Division of Public
Safety shall review the same, and, if he is satisfied from the report
so received that Division recognition should be made, he can make
such award. If the Director of the Division of Public Safety is of
the opinion that the award to be made is the departmental medal of
honor, he shall make such recommendation to the Mayor, who, upon receipt
of the same, shall refer the matter of the award to the Medal of Honor
Committee hereinafter provided for, which shall examine the same and
make its recommendations.
K.Â
Recommendations: City departments. The directors of the several City
departments shall investigate all cases coming to their attention
involving faithfulness to duty, exceptional skill and bravery in the
performance of duty of the employees of their respective departments
and report thereon to the Mayor with their recommendations. If the
Mayor is satisfied from the report so received that a commendation
should be made, then he, the Mayor, can make such award, except wherein
his determination is that a medal of honor should be awarded, in which
case he shall refer the same with his recommendation to the Medal
of Honor Committee hereinafter provided for, which shall examine the
same and make its recommendation.
L.Â
Determination of awards by Mayor. The Mayor shall investigate all
cases coming to his attention involving acts of bravery performed
by any person within the limits of the City of Hoboken and by residents
outside the City limits, and if, in his opinion, such acts warrant
public recognition, he is hereby authorized to make a public commendation
thereof. If the Mayor shall determine that such acts of bravery merit
the award of the medal of honor, he shall refer his recommendation
to the Medal of Honor Committee which shall examine the same and make
report thereon.
M.Â
Medal of Honor Committee. There is hereby created in and for the
City of Hoboken a Medal of Honor Committee which shall be composed
of the Mayor, the Chairman of the Council and a citizen selected by
the Mayor. The Mayor and the Chairman of the Council shall automatically
become members of this Committee upon election as Mayor and Chairman
of the Council; the citizen member shall be appointed for a term of
one year.
