Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-7.1, there is hereby established within the Fire Department of the City of Hoboken an Arson Investigation Unit, which shall be responsible for conducting investigations of arson, suspicious fires and explosions within the City of Hoboken.
Before any member of the Fire Department shall be assigned to the Arson Investigation Unit, he shall have successfully completed a course of training approved by the Police Training Commission and an arson investigation training course approved by the Department of Law and Public Safety.
Members of the Arson Investigation Unit shall have the same powers and authority as police officers within the City of Hoboken while engaged in the actual performance of arson investigation duties, specifically the right to carry firearms pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:39-6a(8).
There is hereby assigned and transferred to said Division all of the subordinate officers and employees in the City of Hoboken holding their offices and positions under tenure of office under any law of this state of Title 11 (Civil Service) of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey and now exercising and performing any of the functions, powers and duties as heretofore. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to affect or impair the tenure of office, civil serve or pension rights of any of the officers and employees transferred to said Division.
There is hereby transferred and assigned to said Division all of the property, books, papers and records relating to any of the offices and other governmental agencies hereinabove allocated and assigned to said Division, except such books, papers and records as are now required by law or ordinances of the City of Hoboken to be kept in the office of some other officer or department of the City government.
All appropriations available or to become available to any department, board, commission, office or other governmental agency, the functions, powers and duties of which are hereby assigned and transferred to said Division are hereby transferred to the Division established hereby, and shall be available for the objects and purposes for which appropriated.