ASSEMBLY, No. 2912

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MAY 5, 1997

By Assemblyman KRAMER

An Act concerning the providing of emergency medical and rescue services by fire districts and amending N.J.S.40A:14-81, 40A:14-84, and 40A:14-85.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. N.J.S.40A:14-81 is amended to read as follows:

    The commissioners of a fire district shall have the powers, duties and functions within said district to the same extent as in the case of municipalities, relating to the prevention and extinguishment of fires [and] , the regulation of fire hazards ,and the provision of emergency medical and rescue services.

    Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to affect the powers, duties and functions of the State Department of Environmental Protection pertaining to forest fire services.

(cf: N.J.S.40A:14-81)

    2. N.J.S.40A:14-84 is amended to read as follows:

    The legal voters, at the annual meeting or at a special meeting called by the commissioners of the fire district, may vote to raise money for a firehouse, apparatus and appliances in connection therewith for fire extinguishing purposes, and may vote to raise money for emergency medical and rescue equipment and supplies, in an amount not exceeding 5 mills on the dollar of the last assessed valuation of the property in the fire district. The amount so voted for shall be included in the [next succeeding] annual budget of the fire district under the section for capital appropriations.

    Any such special meeting shall be called on 10 days' notice by the board of fire commissioners, to be posted in five public places in the district, setting forth the time, place and object of the meeting and the legal voters shall determine the amount of money to be raised.

(cf: P.L.1979, c.453, s.15)

    3. N.J.S.40A:14-85 is amended to read as follows:

    The board of commissioners of a fire district may purchase fire engines, emergency service vehicles, apparatus or other appliances for the extinguishment of fires and the provision of emergency medical and rescue services, and acquire lands or buildings or erect buildings for the housing of such equipment, at a cost not exceeding $60,000.00 or 2% of the assessed valuation of the taxable property in the district, whichever amount is larger, the money to be raised by a bond issue. Any such bond issue shall be authorized by a resolution of the commissioners specifying the amount and the purpose thereof. The resolution shall be inoperative unless and until it shall have been submitted to and approved by the legal voters within said fire district at the annual election held for the election of commissioners and appropriation of money for fire extinguishing purposes or for emergency medical and rescue services, or at a special election for such purpose.

    The resolution shall be written or printed and the election shall be upon notice stating the time and place. If said election is to be the annual one, the notices shall be posted by the clerk of the board of fire commissioners in 10 public places, at least 10 days prior to the date of the election. The board of commissioners and the clerk, in their or his discretion, may advertise the election in a newspaper, published in the fire district, if any, otherwise in a newspaper published in the county of said district and circulating in such district. When a special election is specified notices shall be posted in 10 public places, at least 21 days prior to the date of election, and the clerk of said board shall advertise said notice in such a newspaper at least twice prior to the election date.

(cf: N.J.S.40A:14-85)

    4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would allow fire districts to provide for emergency medical and rescue services. Specifically, the bill would authorize commissioners of a fire district 1) to provide for emergency medical and rescue services to the same extent as municipalities do; and 2) to purchase emergency service vehicles, apparatus, or other appliances for providing emergency medical and rescue services, and acquire lands or buildings or erect buildings for the housing of such equipment. Further, the bill would permit the legal voters, at the annual meeting or at a special meeting called by the commissioners of the fire district, to vote to raise money for emergency medical and rescue equipment and supplies.

     The bill would also delete the words "next succeeding" from N.J.S. 40A:14-84 so that budget amounts voted on at the annual or special meeting of the fire district may be included in the current year's budget instead of the next succeeding annual budget.

Permits fire districts to provide emergency medical and rescue services.