[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council
of the Township of Byram 3-5-1990 by Ord. No. 3-1990. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
The Byram Township Volunteer Fire Department
is hereby created and established with jurisdictional boundaries coextensive
with the boundaries of the Township.
The Byram Township Volunteer Fire Department
shall be composed of one company to be known as the "Cranberry Lake
Volunteer Fire Department, Inc."
No person shall hereafter become a member of
the Byram Township Volunteer Fire Department or any unit thereof unless
he or she is:
A.
At least 18 years of age;
[Amended 5-19-2008 by Ord. No. 5-2008]
B.
Physically fit to perform the duties of a fire fighter,
evidenced by a certificate to that effect by a practicing physician
issued after examination for that purpose; and
C.
A resident of the Township of Byram for a period of
at least six months, unless the applicant is already a fire fighter
in good standing in another department in which case the six-month
requirement shall be waived.
Every member of the Fire Department shall in
each and every year perform at least 50% 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 Township Clerk annually.
[Amended 5-19-2008 by Ord. No. 5-2008]
Every member of the Fire Department shall be
entitled to an exempt fireman certificate when it appears that at
the time of this appointment he met the requirements of N.J.S.A. 40A:14-56
and was not under 18 or over 45 years of age and that he had performed
during a period of seven years 60% of fire duty in each year respectively
and as otherwise authorized under N.J.S.A. 40A:14-56.
Every person seeking to join the Fire Department
shall make application to the fire company, and upon his election
to membership in accordance with the bylaws of the company, he shall
become a member in good standing of the Fire Department. The election
of members of a fire company shall be immediately reported to the
Township Clerk who shall keep an accurate and up-to-date record of
all members of the Department. The members of the Department shall
be deemed to be exercising a governmental function, and the adoption
of this section, which has been at the request of the Byram Township
Volunteer Fire Department, shall be deemed to constitute a contract
as required by N.J.S.A. 40A:14-68.
[Amended 5-19-2008 by Ord. No. 5-2008]
There shall be a President, Vice President,
Chief, Assistant Chief, Captain, Lieutenant, Secretary and Treasurer
who shall be elected by the members of the Department. The Department
shall also elect any other office as provided for in the bylaws of
the Department.
The Chief of the Department shall be in command
of the Department and all fires and fire-related incidents within
the Township of Byram. The Chief shall be responsible for all decisions
involving the use of fire apparatus within or without the Township.
He shall be responsible for the actions and direction of the Department
when officially summoned for duty and for other matters pertaining
to the overall efficiency of fire fighting within the Township. The
Chief shall render an annual report to the Township Manager covering
such firematic activities as fires and drills, etc., but may delegate
a subordinate to keep such records.
In the absence of the Chief, the Assistant Chief
of the Department shall assume all responsibilities of the Chief.
The Firematic Committee for the Department shall
consist of the Chief, Assistant Chief and such other officers as may
be designated in the bylaws of the Department.
