[Adopted 4-10-1974 by Ord. No. 19; Amended by Ord. No. 16-021]
[Ord. No. 16-021]
The Fire Department of the Borough of Roosevelt shall consist of the Roosevelt Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. or such other companies as may be authorized by resolution of the Borough Council. The Fire Department shall function under the control and supervision of the Borough Council and shall be subject to such rules and regulations as the Borough Council may enact.
[Ord. No. 16-021]
Every person seeking to join the Fire Department shall make application to the company which he or she desires to join. The Fire Chief shall then make a recommendation to the fire company regarding the suitability of the applicant for membership in the Fire Department. The fire company may then by a majority vote of those present and voting at a duly convened meeting, elect the applicant to membership. The applicant's name shall then be submitted to the Borough Council for confirmation. Upon confirmation, the applicant shall become a member of the Fire Department.
[Ord. No. 16-021]
The fire company shall provide a list of its members, directors and officers to the Borough Clerk and shall promptly update the list upon the occurrence of any change. The Borough Clerk shall maintain a list of the members of the Fire Department in the Borough records.
Every firefighter shall be given a badge of membership in his or her company by the Borough Council. The badge shall be worn at all times when on fire duty. If a firefighter is for any reason suspended from duty, or if he or she ceases to be a member of the Fire Department, he or she shall immediately deliver his or her badge either to the Fire Chief or to the Borough Clerk.
[Ord. No. 16-021]
The members of the Fire Department shall no less frequently than annually elect a Fire Chief and an Assistant Fire Chief. The members of the Fire Department may also elect other line officers at the same time and in the same manner as the election of the Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief. The Fire Chief, Assistant Fire Chief and all other line officers shall take office upon confirmation by the Borough Council and shall serve until their successors have been elected and confirmed. The control and management of the Fire Department, subject to such rules and regulations as the Borough Council may enact, shall be exercised by the Fire Chief and he or she shall be entrusted with the command of the Fire Department at all fires and other emergencies and at all drills. He or she shall be empowered to schedule drills.
In his or her absence, his or her powers and duties shall devolve upon the Assistant Fire Chief.
[Ord. No. 16-021]
The members of the Fire Department, including all line officers, shall serve without compensation. However, they may annually receive such allowances as may be fixed by the Borough Council to cover any loss of time or other loss incurred in attending upon and putting out fires in the Borough of Roosevelt.
[Ord. No. 16-021]
No person shall become a member of the Fire Department unless he or she is at least 18 years of age, a citizen of the United States, and resides within the Borough of Roosevelt or anywhere within five miles of any border of the Borough of Roosevelt. He or she shall be physically fit to perform the duties of a firefighter. The Fire Chief or the Borough Council may require any firefighter or applicant to produce a certificate issued by a practicing physician of the State of New Jersey indicating that he or she has been examined by said physician and found physically fit to perform fire duty. No person shall be denied membership consistent with the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
[Ord. No. 16-021]
Fire duty shall consist of actual attendance at, and participation in, fire-fighting and drills. The Fire Chief shall maintain a record of the percentage of fire duty performed by each firefighter and shall, in January of each year, file a report containing this information with the Borough Clerk. In computing the percentage, the Chief may take into account no more than 20 drills and must use the same standards for all firefighters.
[Ord. No. 16-021]
Firefighters may be suspended or expelled from the Fire Department by the Fire Chief or the Borough Council for malfeasance, neglect of duty or other good cause. Line officers may also be removed from line officer positions by the Borough Council by resolution. The Borough Council shall be entitled to reinstate any person who has resigned or been suspended or expelled from the Fire Department and fire company. Subject to the rights of the Borough Council in the immediately preceding sentence, no person shall continue to be a member of the Fire Department if he or she has failed entirely to perform fire duty during the previous calendar year.
No person who is not a member of the Fire Department may be a member of a fire company within the Department, unless such person is in the process of applying for membership in the Fire Department. This provision notwithstanding, no fire company shall be prevented from electing former members of the Fire Department to honorary membership.
[New]
The Water/Sewer Utility Department is established in Chapter 15, Water and Sewer.