Township of Fredon
County of Sussex, State of New Jersey
Township Committee
Resolution 2026-92
A Resolution Establishing Emergency Incident Thresholds and Response Criteria for Township Department of Public Works Employees Serving as Volunteer Firefighters
WHEREAS, the Township of Fredon (“Township”) relies on the dedicated service of volunteer first responders to protect the lives and property of its residents; and
WHEREAS, the Fredon Volunteer Fire Company, Inc. (“FVFC”) is recognized under Chapter 85 of the Fredon Township Code as the official volunteer fire and emergency medical services company for the Township; and
WHEREAS, certain municipal employees within the Fredon Township Department of Public Works (“DPW”) also selflessly serve as active volunteer members of the FVFC; and
WHEREAS, the Township Committee recognizes the critical need to balance prompt emergency response with the continuous, safe maintenance of municipal roads and essential public works infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, establishing clear “Emergency Incident Thresholds” ensures that DPW personnel only self-dispatch to high-priority emergencies, thereby minimizing disruption to active public works assignments while maximizing community safety during severe events.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Township Committee of the Township of Fredon, County of Sussex, State of New Jersey, that the following Emergency Incident Thresholds and response criteria shall govern all DPW employees serving as volunteer firefighters, effective immediately:
- Established Emergency Incident Thresholds
DPW employees on active duty shifts for Fredon Township are strictly prohibited from leaving their work assignments to respond to FVFC calls, except when Sussex County Fire Dispatch transmits an alarm for the following life-safety or high-severity incidents:
Confirmed Structure Fires: Any working commercial, industrial, or residential structure fire within the Township or immediate mutual aid zone.
Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA) with Entrapment: Major vehicular accidents requiring heavy rescue or specialized extrication tools.
Technical and Water Rescues: Active ice, swift-water, trench, or confined-space rescue operations.
Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI): Any local or mutual aid emergency overwhelming standard first responder staffing.
Official Mutual Aid Requests: When a neighboring Sussex County municipality specifically requests manpower or apparatus for an ongoing life-safety emergency.
- Low-Priority Alarms Explicitly Excluded (No Response Authorized)
DPW employees shall not leave their regular municipal duties for minor, non-life-threatening alarms, including but not limited to:
Automatic Fire Alarms: Unconfirmed smoke detector activations.
Minor Vehicular Accidents: Accidents without entrapment or reported injuries.
Carbon Monoxide Investigations: Investigations without active medical distress.
Routine Public Service Assists: Pump-outs, basement lockouts, or similar calls.
Trees or Wires Down: Unless specifically requested by the DPW Superintendent to assist with municipal clearing operations.
- Absolute Operational Restrictions and Critical Infrastructure Safeguards
Notwithstanding Section 1, no DPW employee may leave their post to respond to any fire call under the following conditions:
Severe Weather and Winter Operations: During active snow-plowing, salting, ice-control operations, or storm-related road clearing, all DPW staff are deemed critical infrastructure personnel and must remain on active Township duty.
Minimum Staffing Thresholds: If the employee’s departure would drop a specific road crew, facility maintenance shift, or project site below safe operating thresholds, as determined by the DPW Superintendent.
Time-Sensitive Operations: If the employee is actively engaged in a hazardous or highly time-sensitive infrastructure repair.
- Mandatory Notification Protocols
No DPW employee shall leave a municipal job site or facility without providing immediate, direct verbal notification to the DPW Superintendent or designated crew foreman. Leaving a shift prior to receiving verbal verification from a supervisor is strictly forbidden and subject to disciplinary action.
- Compensation and Documentation Compliance
FLSA and Paid Time Tracker: Time spent responding to approved emergency incidents during regular DPW hours shall be fully paid by the Township under “Community Emergency Leave,” ensuring no penalization of regular wages or mandatory deduction from the employee’s personal paid time off (PTO) bank, provided all criteria herein are met.
Response Verification: Upon returning to their DPW shift, the employee must submit a standard response log sheet signed by the FVFC Fire Chief or highest Officer-in-Charge, detailing the exact times of dispatch and release.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be forwarded to the the DPW Superintendent, and the Chief of the Fredon Volunteer Fire Company.
CERTIFICATION
I hereby certify the foregoing to be a true and correct copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Fredon, in the County of Sussex, New Jersey, at a meeting held on August 10, 2026.
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Suzanne Boland, RMC Municipal Clerk
