[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Montague 1-9-79 as Ord. No. 78-10. Amendments noted where applicable.]
There is hereby authorized and established the Montague Township Fire Department to be composed of one company, to be known as the "Montague Township Volunteer Fire Department," and such additional companies as the Township Committee may authorize and approve.
[Amended 2-8-05 by Ord. No. 2005-03]
No person shall hereafter become a member of the Fire Department of the Township of Montague, or any unit thereof, unless above the age of 18 years and not over the age of 40 years, a citizen of the United States of good moral character and a resident of the Township of Montague, County of Sussex, for a period of one year. He shall be physically fit to perform the duties of a fireman, evidenced by a certificate to that effect by a practicing physician of the State of New Jersey, after physical examination for that purpose. He shall not have been convicted of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude, as ascertained by a criminal history record background check as required for paid members of a fire department pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-9. As with all statutory criminal history record background checks pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-9, the cost of the criminal background check for a prospective member of the Fire Department of the Township of Montague, or any unit thereof, shall be borne by the applicant.
Every member of the Fire Department shall, in each and every year, perform at least 60% of duty to be composed of actual attendance and duty at fires and drills, and a record shall be kept of such attendance and duty by the Chief of the Fire Department and reported to the municipal officers annually.
Every person seeking to join the Fire Department shall make application to the company or unit which he desires to join, and, upon his election to membership by vote of the unit present and voting, he shall become a member in good standing of the Fire Department after approval of his membership by the Chief and confirmation by the municipal officers, and his name shall be entered on a roll of firemen kept by the Municipal Clerk.
Exemption certificates may be issued to members of the Fire Department who shall have served seven years in active duty, under municipal control, as required by law of April 29, 1935, as amended May 26, 1936.