[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Hampton
7-25-2000 by Ord. No. 2000-5. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
There is hereby established within the Township of Hampton, Sussex County,
New Jersey, a Volunteer Fire Department organized and incorporated under an
act of the legislation of New Jersey, entitled "An Act for the Incorporation
of Fire Companies" L. 1876, c. 176 pg. 286, as amended.[1] The Hampton Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., is recognized as
the Township's official volunteer fire company for the purpose of providing
fire protection and other emergency services. The Hampton Township First Responders
shall be a subsidiary of the Fire Department and is recognized as the Township's
official volunteer medical response services to persons who may experience
injury or illness within the Township.
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. Val.:5-26.1.
The Department shall be known as the "Hampton Township Volunteer Fire
Department."
[Amended 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
The Fire Department shall consist of all duly enrolled active members as shown on the enrollment books of the Department on the date of final passage of this chapter and such other members as may be thereafter be elected by the Department and duly approved and qualified under the provisions of this chapter by the bylaws of the Department. Any person seeking to join either the Hampton Township Volunteer Fire Department or any of its subsidiaries shall make application for membership, which application shall be considered in accordance with the bylaws, rules, and regulations of the Department and or any subsidiary of the Department into which membership is sought and any applicable state statutes. After approval of membership and confirmation by the Township Committee, the member's name shall be entered on the rolls kept by the Township Clerk pursuant to § 12-6 and shall indicate to which class and/or unit of membership the new member has been accepted.
[Amended 7-31-2001 by Ord.
No. 2001-5]
The membership of the Fire Department shall elect from its own members
a qualified Chief responsible for all firematics activities of the Department
and a qualified Chief responsible for all nonrelated firematics requirements
to run the department, and other such officers as set forth in the bylaws
of the Department.
It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Department to report, in
writing, the exact membership, giving full names and residences of the members,
to the Township Clerk of the Township of Hampton on the first day of February
in each year. The membership roll shall be certified by the Chief or superior
line officer of the Department. The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings
of the Department, of all appointments and transfers, resignations or removals
of firemen belonging to said Department and all the members of the Department
who shall attend each alarm fire, which record shall be open to the Mayor
and Township Committee for inspection at any time.
The Township Clerk shall keep an accurate muster roll of the active
members of the Department and shall issue a certificate of membership in the
Township of Hampton Volunteer Fire Department to each member elected.
The Department may have such other classes of members as may be prescribed
by their respective constitutions and bylaws and may prescribe such qualifications
and may grant to each class such privileges as they desire so long as same
are consistent with the provisions of this chapter.
The Department may provide for the establishment of auxiliaries. Such
auxiliary shall be a subsidiary of and subordinate to the Department which
created it and subject to the constitution and bylaws of the Department. However,
such auxiliary members shall not perform any duties nor have any of the powers
of active firemen except first aid or disaster relief.
[Amended 8-29-2006 by Ord. No. 2006-11]
The Department shall nominate drivers for the apparatus to be furnished
by the Township. No person shall be nominated unless he is a licensed automobile
driver with a valid license and has had appropriate training, including the state-approved
Defensive Driving Course, and experience in the operation and driving of the
apparatus. Said drivers shall be designated when nominated, by
numbers (i.e., first driver, second driver, etc.), and the names of the persons
so nominated shall be submitted to the Township Committee for approval. No
person shall be approved to drive an ambulance unless he or she shall have
attained the age of 19 years. No person shall be approved to drive fire apparatus
unless he or she shall have attained the age of 21 years. No person shall
operate or drive the apparatus furnished the Department by the Township of
Hampton other than a regular driver except in great emergency and by order
of the Chief or superior line officer of the Department.
It shall be the duty of the persons so designated as drivers to regularly
and frequently inspect said apparatus and to see that the same is provided
with fuel, water, oil and other supplies necessary to keep said apparatus
in readiness for instant operation, and said drivers shall perform such other
duties as may be necessary or provided by rules and regulations.
Each active member of the Fire Department shall perform the duty in
the answering of fire alarms and such other duties as required by the Department
bylaws, unless excused.
A.
The companies shall be equipped with such apparatus and
other equipment as may be required from time to time to maintain their efficiency
and properly protect life and property from fire.
B.
The procurement of all fire prevention material shall
be vested in the Mayor and Township Committee of the Township of Hampton.
C.
Recommendations for apparatus and equipment needed shall
be made by the respective Chief or superior line officer of the Department
to the Mayor and Township Committee at such time and manner as the Mayor and
Township Committee determines.
No person shall use any fire apparatus or equipment for any private
purpose, nor shall any person willfully and without authority take away or
conceal any article belonging to or used in any way by the Department.
No person shall enter any place where fire apparatus is housed nor handle
any equipment, property or apparatus belonging to the Department unless accompanied
by or having the special permission of an officer or authorized member of
the Department.
All active members of the Department who are engaged in carrying out
their respective duties under this chapter are hereby given the necessary
police powers for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter.
These police powers shall be in addition to those to be exercised by the New
Jersey State Police and any other agency of the municipality for the enforcement
of the provisions of this chapter and in compliance with N.J.S.A. 40A:14-54
and 40A:14-54.1.
[Amended 10-10-2000 by Ord.
No. 2000-7]
A.
The Chief or superior line officer of the Department
shall keep a permanent record of the alarms of fire and drill attendance of
each member of his Department, a copy of which shall be submitted annually
to the Mayor and Township Committee at the close of each year.
B.
On or before January 15 of each year, the Chief shall
submit to the Mayor and Township Committee a record of all of the Fire Department
income and expenses for the prior calendar year, together with the proposed
budget for the current year.
The Chief or superior line officer of the Department shall drill and
instruct his company at least once a month.
The Department shall maintain its apparatus in good condition and ready
for immediate service.
No apparatus shall be used outside of the boundaries of Hampton Township
without the approval and Township Committee except in the case of mutual aid
and or an emergency.
The arrangements for the renting or other nonofficial uses of the firehouses
is vested with the Mayor and Township Committee upon recommendation of the
President. Other uses are permitted only upon approval by the Chief or Superior
Line Officer.
All automobile apparatus shall be operated in strict accordance with
state laws applicable thereto.
Every person shall, by joining any volunteer company, agree to release
the Township of Hampton from any liability for injury incurred in the course
of performance of his duty, except for such recovery as may be allowed under
the insurance coverages maintained by the Township.
[Added 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
The Department may enact such incident command structures as may be
appropriate and authorized by state regulation and policy of the National
Fire Protection Association or similar body. During any emergency within the
Township in which either the Hampton Township Volunteer Fire Department or
Hampton Township First Responders are called out, the incident commander of
either unit may, in the performance of his or her duties and as may be necessary
for the protection of health, life, and property, prohibit persons, vehicles,
or other objects from approaching the scene of the emergency and may remove
or cause to be removed from the scene any person, vehicle, or object that
may impede or interfere with operations of the Hampton Township Volunteer
Fire Department or Hampton Township First Responders.
[Added 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
It shall be unlawful for any persons to interfere with, attempt to interfere
with or obstruct or restrict the mobility of any member of the Hampton Township
Volunteer Fire Department or Hampton Township First Responders performing
their duties pursuant to this chapter, including vehicles employed by such
members in the performance of their duties.
[Amended 9-10-2002 by Ord. No. 2002-9]
Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction
thereof, be subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment in the
county jail for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both, in the discretion of
a court of competent jurisdiction. Each and every day that such violation
shall continue shall be a further and separate offense under the terms of
this chapter, subject to the penalties herein prescribed.
