There is hereby established and created in the
Township a Fire Department, to be known as the Springfield Township
Fire Department.
The Fire Department shall consist of such volunteer
fire companies as may be incorporated with the consent and approval
of the Township Council. Such volunteer fire companies shall be under
the supervision and control of the Council with regard to budget,
equipment, personnel, training and all other matters as they pertain
to firefighting activities within the Township.
The purpose and duty of the Fire Department
shall be to protect lives and property within the Township and, subject
to such rules and regulations as may be enacted, within neighboring
municipalities, against fire or other disasters. To accomplish this
purpose, the Fire Department shall coordinate and oversee the activities
of the volunteer fire companies.
A.
No person shall become a member of any volunteer fire
company and be authorized to fight fires within the Township or neighboring
municipalities unless (s)he meets the following requirements:
(1)
Be between the ages of 18 and 40 years.
(2)
Be a citizen of the United States of good moral character.
(3)
Present a doctor's certificate certifying his/her
fitness to perform the duties of a volunteer firefighter.
(4)
Have his/her application approved by the Township
Council.
(5)
Complete such training as may be required by the state
and/or county and by the local company.
B.
Every approved member of a volunteer fire company
shall perform at least 60% of duty, to be composed of actual attendance
at fires and drills, in each and every year. A record shall be kept
of such attendance and duty by the Chief of the Fire Department, and
reported to Council annually.
C.
Pursuant
to N.J.S.A. 40A:14-95, there is hereby established in the fire companies
and in the emergency medical service companies (EMS) in Springfield
Township a Junior Firefighters' and Junior EMS Auxiliary.
[Added 2-9-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-02]
(1)
Membership
in the Junior Firefighters' and Junior EMS Auxiliary; minimum age.
(a)
Any
persons, upon reaching the age of 14, with written permission from
their parents or guardians, may be proposed for membership in the
Junior Firefighters' and or Junior EMS Auxiliary.
(b)
No
person shall be eligible for membership in the Junior Firefighters'
Auxiliary or Junior EMS Auxiliary who is less than 14 years of age
or more than 17 years of age. Persons between the ages of 14 and 17
shall be required to obtain permission to join the Auxiliary from
their parents or guardians. Such permission shall be in writing, accompanied
by a completed application, signed by their parents or guardians and
acknowledged by the Chief of the company.
(2)
Applications
will be submitted to the company at a regular business meeting and
referred to the membership committee for approval. The report of the
investigation by the committee shall be submitted with the proposition
for membership at the next regular business meeting. The applicant
shall not attend this meeting. There shall be a ballot for acceptance
of said junior firefighter or junior EMS, and a majority vote of members
present is necessary for acceptance.
(3)
A probation
period of six months will be served before final approval for junior
firefighter or junior EMS membership, at which time a majority vote
of members present is necessary for acceptance. This probation and
junior firefighter or junior EMS period will count towards full membership
upon reaching the age of 18 and approval for full membership status
by the company. Any qualified person appointed as a junior firefighter
or junior EMS prior to the effective date of this subsection shall
be given credit for time served to satisfy the probationary period.
(4)
Rules
and regulations governing the Junior Firefighters' and Junior Emergency
Medical Service Auxiliary.
[Amended 9-14-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-11]
(a)
The
Township Council of Springfield Township shall, before authorizing
the establishment of a Junior Firefighters’ Auxiliary and Junior
EMS Auxiliary, formulate rules and regulations to govern the activities
of the Auxiliary. The rules and regulations shall provide for training
of the Auxiliary for eventual membership in the volunteer fire company
or volunteer EMS of the municipality and shall provide that no junior
firefighter or junior EMS personnel shall be required to perform duties
which would expose him or her to the same degree of hazard as a regular
member of the volunteer fire company or EMS company.
(b)
If
the Township Council so provides in rules and regulations governing
the Auxiliary, a junior firefighter or junior EMS personnel 16 years
of age or older may perform nonhazardous support duties at a fire
site, provided as follows:
[1]
The junior firefighter and/or junior EMS has been appropriately and
adequately trained to perform the support duties;
[2]
The junior firefighter and/or junior EMS is appropriately and adequately
supervised in performing those support duties at the fire site;
[3]
The junior firefighter and/or junior EMS’s parent or guardian
has provided written permission allowing the junior firefighter and/or
junior EMS to perform those support duties;
[4]
The Township Council provides insurance coverage for the junior firefighter
and/or junior EMS that is identical to that provided for the regular
members of the volunteer fire company or EMS company.
(c)
The
company shall provide that no junior firefighter or junior EMS shall
be required to perform duties that would expose him/her to the same
degree of hazard as a regular member of a volunteer fire company.
Activities of the junior firefighters and junior EMS under the age
of 16 years of age shall be limited to:
[1]
Attending meetings of the Junior Firefighters’ Auxiliary;
[2]
Receiving instruction;
[3]
Participating in training that does not involve fire, smoke, toxic
or noxious gas, or hazardous materials or substances; and
[4]
Observing fire-fighting activities, while under supervision.
[5]
A minor under 16 years of age shall not be permitted to work in,
or about, or in connection with power-driven machinery.
(5)
Any
junior firefighter or junior EMS under the age of 16 will be permitted
to respond to the firehouse or EMS building for a fire or EMS call
and receive credit for that call. Junior firefighters will not be
permitted to respond on the fire apparatus or to the fire scene until
the ICS places the fire under control.
(6)
Any
junior firefighter or junior EMS age 16 and over will be permitted
to respond to the firehouse for a fire call or EMS building for an
emergency call and receive credit for that call. Junior firefighters
will be permitted to respond on the fire apparatus to the fire scene
but will remain at the apparatus with the operator of the vehicle
or until the OIC directs differently. Junior EMS will be permitted
to respond on EMS emergency equipment and remain at the scene as directed
by the EMS officer in charge.
(7)
Insurance
coverage. The Township of Springfield may provide members of a Junior
Firefighters’ and Junior EMS Auxiliary established as an auxiliary
to the volunteer fire company or emergency services company with the
same coverage as provided for the regular volunteer firefighters of
the fire companies under N.J.S.A. 40A:14-37 and 40A:14-38.
(8)
Junior
firefighters will not be permitted at the firehouse unless there is
a company member present or in the response of a fire call. Junior
EMS members are not permitted at the EMS building without an EMS member
present.
(9)
No junior
firefighter will miss or leave school to attend a fire call. No junior
EMS will miss or leave school to attend an emergency call.
(10)
No
junior firefighter will respond to a fire call after 10:00 p.m. previous
to a school day. No junior EMS will respond to an emergency call after
10:00 p.m. previous to a school day.
(11)
Any
junior firefighter or junior EMS not obeying rules and regulations
of the company or any order from the Chief or officers of the company
will be expelled from the program.
(12)
An
officer will assign fire-fighting equipment at each call, only.
(13)
Junior
firefighters and junior EMS may take part in company functions or
company drills unless excluded by the officers or those who are in
charge.
The Council may make, amend or repeal appropriate
rules and regulations for the proper governance of the Department.
