CONSTITUTION & BY LAWS

FOR THE

CHERRYHILL TOWNSHIP

VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY

Article 1         Organizational Name and Purpose

Section 1:        The name of this organization is the Cherryhill Township Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.

Section 2:        The purpose of this organization is to protect life, property, and the environment in Cherryhill Township and vicinity.

Article 2         Membership Levels and Definitions

Section 1:        Charter Member: Any member who was on the fire company roster when the fire company received its charter in 1953.

Section 2:        Life Member:  Any member who has served 20 years as an active firefighter for our fire company.  A life member can also be a member who has been incapacitated from performing the duties of a firefighter while participating in a firefighting activity. An individual can be given life membership for displaying extraordinary meritorious service to our fire company by being nominated for such membership and receiving a 2/3 vote by the entire voting membership.

Section 3:        Honorary Member:  Any member who has 15 years of active service for our fire company and retires from active firefighting duty in good standing. 

Section 4:        Senior Firefighter:  Any member who is 18 years of age or older and actively performs the duties of a firefighter.

Section 5:        QRS Member: Any member who is 18 years of age or older, holding a current certification as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) or higher, who requests and receives appointment to the QRS squad and actively performs the duties of a QRS member.

Section 6:        Junior Firefighter:  Any member who is 14 to 17 years of age and performs the duties of a junior firefighter. Once a junior firefighter reaches the age of 18 their membership automatically changes to senior firefighter.

Section 7:        Social Member:  Any citizen who does not actively participate in the answering of emergency alarms but promotes the mission and welfare of the fire company through fund raising or other means.

Section 8:        Training Member:  Any perspective firefighter member that has been reviewed by the membership committee and approved for the induction program. Training members are permitted to participate in training programs but are not permitted to respond on an emergency alarm.

Section 9:        Special Status Member:  This membership is reserved for any individual who provides services for the fire company outside the membership levels previously detailed.  These members may include, but are not limited to, Photographer or Chaplin. The president and fire chief will be responsible for writing a job description that will include the process for appointment, training, responsibilities, and benefits.  Once the written job description, appointment process, training requirements, and benefits are complete the Special Status position must be approved by a majority vote at a regular meeting. 

Section 10:      Deceased Member: To be recognized as a deceased member the following criteria must be met.  Achieve life or honorary membership status or be an active firefighter at the time of passing.  The fire company can choose to honor former members who do not meet these criteria by submitting the deceases name at a regular meeting.  The members present must approve the request by a 2/3 vote. 

Section 11:      It is possible for an individual to hold more than one membership status within our organization.  However, the member must meet the requirements of each membership level to continue to hold that status. 

Article 3         Membership Process

Section 1:        Any person 14 years of age or older and of strong moral character is eligible for membership.

Section 2:        Perspective members must complete an application and submit it to the fire company secretary.  If accepted as a training member Junior applicants (age 14-17) must submit working papers before participating in any activity with the fire company.

Section 3:        Upon receipt of an application from a perspective Senior or Junior Firefighter, the secretary will call a meeting of the Membership Committee within 10 working days to review the application. If the Membership Committee finds no irregularities with the application they can approve the applicant as a training member. 

Section 4:        If the Membership Committee finds an irregularity with the application they will not approve the applicant for training membership status.  The application will be brought before the membership at a regular meeting and the irregularity will be reported.  The membership will decide on the appropriate course of action.

Section 5:        Training members must complete the induction program prior to being considered for junior or senior membership status.  The induction program will consist of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) 100 and 700 programs. Perspective members will be issued a copy of the by laws, submit required medical information for accountability purposes, receive personal protective equipment, and receive training on the proper donning and care of PPE. Once the induction program is complete, a ballot vote will be taken and if approved the training member will become an active junior or senior member and can respond to emergency alarms according to the company SOG’s. 

Section 6:        Applicants, other than Senior and Junior Firefighter applicants, which have been previously outlined, will be reviewed by the executive committee and brought before the company at a monthly meeting.  A ballot vote will be taken and a majority vote is required for acceptance into our organization.

Section 7:        Once accepted for membership all members will be required to pay $10 dues annually with the following exceptions. Social members will pay $15.00 annually. Honorary and Life members will have an option of paying $10.00 dues annually to be included in the death benefit plan or opt to waive their payment of dues and forego the death benefit option.

Article 4         Member Duties, Responsibilities, Benefits

Section 1:        All members are expected to actively participate in the various activities of the fire company.  Members are also expected to conduct themselves in a courteous and professional manner while at the fire station or while representing the fire company.

Section 2:        All senior firefighters will complete the Essential of Firefighting Modules I-IV series or equivalent within one year of appointment.  Junior Firefighters will complete the Essential of Firefighting Modules I-III series or equivalent within one year of appointment. QRS members must maintain a current EMT or higher certification and meet required continuing-education hours annually. In addition, active firefighters, regardless of their membership status, will receive at least  24 hours of training annually.

Section 3:        It is the responsibility of each member to know the fire company Standard Operation Guidelines (SOG) and Executive Policies.  Each member is expected to follow the intent of the SOG’s and Executive Policies while participating in fire company activities.

Section 4:        The fire company and its members will adhere to all federal, state, and local laws that regulate our organization and members. 

Section 5:        All members that are enrolled in a secondary public school system must maintain passing grades and acceptable standards of school behavior to remain active in the fire company.  Permission for the fire company to access academic and attendance records will be acquired during the application process.

Section 6:        The fire company will provide a $500.00 death benefit to all dues paying members. To be eligible for the death benefit in a given year, annual dues must be paid by the regular meeting held the third Monday in January. Members that do not pay their annual dues by the third Monday of January forfeit the death benefit for the year. 

Section 7:       No part of the net earnings of the fire company shall inure to the benefit of any director of the fire company, officer of the fire company, or any private individual. Nor shall any director or officer of the fire company, or any private individual be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the fire company assets upon dissolution of the fire company.  If the fire company dissolves, all assets and obligations of the fire company will become the assets and obligations of  Cherryhill Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania.

Article 5         Officers

Section 1:        The executive officers will consist of a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and three trustees. Collectively the president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer will form the executive committee.

Section 2:        The firefighting officers will consist of a chief, first assistant chief, and second assistant chief.

Section 3:        The fire chief will appoint a QRS Coordinator  and can appointed junior line officers not to exceed four. Creation of additional appointed firefighting officer positions must follow the guidelines established under Special Status Membership Article 2 Section 9.

Section 4:        The fire police officers will consist of a fire police captain and fire police lieutenant. Collectively this group is the first line fire police.

Section 5:        Second line fire police can be appointed by the fire police captain and must be approved by the fire chief.

Article 6         Election of Officers

Section 1:        The president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, fire chief, assistant chiefs, and all first line fire police positions will be determined by a ballot vote held at the December meeting.

Section 2:        The Board of Trustees shall consist of three members. One elected for one year, one elected for two years, and one elected for three years. The trustee position that expires will be filled by a ballot vote at the December meeting. The trustee that has one year remaining on his term will be designated as the Head Trustee           

Section 3:        Nominations for officers will be made from the floor at the December meeting. Junior firefighters are not permitted to hold an elected office.

Section 4:        A member may hold one executive office and one firefighting office simultaneously.  However, a member cannot hold the office of fire chief and president simultaneously.

Section 5:        The trustees will collect and count all ballots. Any trustee that accepts a nomination for a position will not participate in the tabulation of votes for that specific position.

Section 6:        To be eligible to vote for any officer position at the December meeting active and life Firefighters and QRS members must have attended a minimum of four of the sixteen listed events. The events include regular monthly meetings and the four major fundraising events (Spring Gun Raffle, Fall Gun Raffle, Daytona 500, and Cash Bash). Additionally, firefighters and QRS members must have met the 24-hour training requirement to vote for fire line positions.

Section 7:        To be eligible to vote for any executive officer position at the December meeting Social and Honorary members must attend eight of the qualifying events listed in Article 6 Section 6.  Social and Honorary members are not eligible to hold or vote for fire chief, assistant chief, or fire police positions

Article 7         Responsibilities of Officers

Sub Article 1: President

Section 1:        The president will preside over all meetings of the fire company, maintain order, prevent innovation, enforce decorum, and uphold and enforce the Constitution of our organization.

Section 2:        The president will inspect all ballots and report the results to the membership. In a case of a tie the president will cast the deciding vote; otherwise the president will not be permitted to cast a vote.

Section 3:        The president will appoint all committees as deemed necessary for the good of the organization.

Section 4:        All certificates, notices, or correspondence dealing with matters of an executive nature will require the signature of the president to be authentic.

Section 5:        The president, on a regular basis, will examine the state of the Fire Company and properties so when delinquencies occur the appropriate officer or member can be quickly and properly notified to remedy the problem. 

Section 6:        The president has the authority to call a special meeting to address matters that require expedient action. The president will also call a special meeting when petitioned in writing by six members.

Section 7:        The president will work with the fire chief to maintain personnel records.

Section 8:        The president, as he deems necessary, can establish Executive Policies relative to matters of executive authority in order to increase the efficient operation of the fire company.  All Executive Policies must be in writing to be authentic.

Sub Arti 2: Vice President

Section 1:        In the absence of the President it is the duty of Vice President to assume the responsibilities of the President.  The Vice President will also complete all tasks delegated to him by the President. 

Sub Article 4: Secretary

Section 1:        The secretary will attend all meetings of the fire company, keep minutes of the proceedings, record attendance at meetings, and establish efficient methods of record keeping.

Section 2:        The secretary will execute all writings and perform all readings as assigned by the president or fire chief.

Section 3:        In the case of absence at a meeting, the secretary will provide the minute books and other pertinent information to the president.  The president will assign a temporary secretary until the time in which the secretary can resume his duties.

Section 4:        The secretary will assist the fire chief and president in maintaining personnel records.

Section 5:        The secretary will send written notice to any member that has not paid their dues by January 1. The secretary will also assure each member receives a membership card once dues is paid.

Sub Article 5: Treasurer

Section 1:        The treasurer will have charge of all monies of the fire company; and pay all orders when properly billed.  The disbursement of any money requires the signature of two executive committee officers.

Section 2:        The treasure will work with the executive committee to establish procedures for purchasing and invoicing.

Section 3:        The treasurer shall keep a record of all monies received and disbursed.  This record is subject to inspection by any member upon written request to the president.  The treasurer shall provide a report of said record at each monthly meeting.

Section 4:        The treasurer will assure all required reports are sent to the Internal Revenue Service annually.  

Section 5:        It is the duty of the treasurer to arrange an audit of the fire company books by a Certified Public Accountant when requested by a majority vote.

Section 6:        Upon termination or resignation from office the treasurer will turn all financial records of the fire company over to his successor.

Sub Article 6: Trustees

Section 1:        The trustees will have charge of all company property.  They will work with the fire chief and president to establish policies to inspect, maintain, and repair all property on a regular and timely schedule.

Section 2:        The trustees will work with the executive committee to establish procedures and regulations regarding the use and/or rental of property.

Section 3:        The trustees have the authority to authorize the disbursement of funds, not to exceed $500.00 within the period between monthly meetings, to maintain or repair fire company property. 

Section 4:        The Head Trustee is responsible for providing a report on the state of fire company property at the monthly meeting.

Section 5:        In the absence of the president and vice president the Head Trustee followed by the two-year trustee and three-year trustee respectively, will assume the responsibilities of the president.

Sub Article 7: Fire Chief

Section 1:        To qualify for fire chief a member must have completed the following courses or equivalents: Basic Essentials of Firefighting, Vehicle Rescue Technician, Structural Firefighting, Hazardous Materials Operations with current refresher, and Incident Command

Section 2:        It is the duty of the fire chief to work with the trustees to assure the apparatus, firefighting equipment, and apparatus house are in good condition and ready for service.

Section 3:        The fire chief will have sole command at all emergencies and give directives for the protection of life, property, and environment at said emergencies.

Section 4:        The fire chief is required to keep all necessary records to complete reports required by the Pennsylvania Fire Incident Reporting System, National Fire Incident Reporting System and Cherryhill Township Ordinances.  He will provide an incident report at each monthly meeting.

Section 5:        The fire chief can establish Standard Operation Guidelines (SOG”s) relative to emergency response procedures, training, equipment, apparatus, and the apparatus house, as he deems necessary.  All SOG’s must be in writing to be authentic.

Section 6:        All certificates, notices, or correspondence relative to firefighting activities requires the signature of the fire chief to be authentic. 

Sub Article 8: Assistant Chiefs

Section 1:        To qualify for assistant chief members must meet the same training requirements as the fire chief outlined in Article 8, Sub Article 7 Section 1.

Section 2:        The duty of the assistant chiefs is to complete the responsibilities of the chief in his absence. The assistant chiefs will also complete all tasks assigned to them by the chief.

Section 3:        In the event of the resignation, death, retirement, removal, or advancement of any chief officer; the next ranking chief officer will advance to the vacant post and perform the duties of that office until the next annual election.

Sub Article 9: First Line Fire Police

Section 1:        To qualify for First Line Fire Police a member must have completed a certified course in the Basics of Fire Police.  

Section 2:        Once elected to the first line fire police a member must be approved by the Cherryhill Township supervisors and take the loyalty oath.

Section 3:        The duties of the first line fire police are to provide traffic control, crowd control, and any duty assigned by the officer-in-charge.

Section 4:        The fire police captain will work with the fire chief to establish Standard Operation Guidelines (SOG’s) pertaining to fire police activities and procedures. All SOG’s must be in writing to be authentic.

Section 5:        The fire police captain will complete all reports required by government regulation and fire company policy concerning fire police activities.

Section 6:        The order of fire police command is fire police captain, fire police lieutenant and most senior second line fire police officer on scene. In the absence of the fire police captain his subordinates will complete his responsibilities. All fire police are under the command of the officer-in-charge.

Sub Article 10: Captain/Lieutenant

Section 1:        To qualify for Captain or Lieutenant a member must have completed the following certified courses or equivalents: Basic Essentials of Firefighting, Structural Firefighting, Vehicle Rescue Technician, Hazardous Materials Operations with current refresher and NIMS 100 and 700.

Section 2:        The Captains and Lieutenants will complete all tasks assigned to them by the fire chief.

Section 3:        The Captains will follow the assistant chiefs in the chain of command. All captains have equal authority to other captains in the chain of command. In the absence of a chief officer the first captain to arrive on scene will be the officer-in-charge. The Lieutenants will follow the Captains in the chain of command. In the absence of an officer the most senior firefighter on scene will assume command of the incident

Sub Article 11: QRS Coordinator

Section 1:        To qualify for QRS Coordinator the individual must be a QRS member. The position of QRS coordinator is appointed by the fire chief.

Section 2:        The QRS Coordinator will coordinate all QRS activities, assure certifications of all QRS members are current, assure all QRS equipment is operable, functional and ready for service and establish SOG's in consultation with the fire chief for QRS operations.

Section 3:        The QRS coordinator will maintain documentation and incident reports and submit to the proper agency or authority all required local, state and federal documentation and reports regarding QRS operations.  The QRS coordinator will also invoice Citizens Ambulance Service, Inc for QRS responses per contractual agreement by the fifth of each month.                  

Article 8: Meetings

Section 1:        A monthly meeting will be held the third Monday of each month beginning at 7:00 pm.  The chairperson will conduct meetings consist with the stipulations of Article 7, Sub Article 1, Section 1.

Section 2:        The president has the authority to call special meetings at his discretion relative to Article 7, Sub Article 1, Section 6. The president will notify the secretary and provide a reasonable amount of time for the secretary to inform the membership of the time, location, and purpose of the meeting. 

Section 3:        Eight eligible voting members are required to establish a quorum.  No business can be conducted without a quorum present. 

Section 4:        The meeting room will be set up in a manner that all members can face each other.  At no time will a member be seated to face the back of another member.

Section 5:        All motions will be disposed or tabled before other motions can be offered.

Section 6:        All personnel matters including the election of officers will require a ballot vote.  Other matters can be voted upon by voice vote.  Any member not satisfied with the chairperson’s ruling concerning a voice vote can request and shall receive a roll call vote.

Section 7:        All members are eligible to vote on all matters brought before the company with the exception of offices of fire chief, assistant chiefs, and fire police.  Only life members, senior firefighters, junior firefighters, and special status members given voting benefits in accordance to Article 2 Section 9 are eligible to vote for these specific offices. Members voting for fire chief, assistant chiefs and fire police positions must also meet the criteria established in Article 6 Section 6 to be eligible to vote for these positions. 

Section 8:        Any member on a leave of absence is not eligible to vote.  Social Members, Senior Firefighters, Junior Firefighters, and Special Status members given voting benefits in accordance of Article 2, Section 9 are eligible to vote on business matters one month after acceptance into the organization.

Section 9:        The meeting format is:

1. Opening Ceremonies
2. Minutes of Previous Meeting
3. Treasurer Report
4. Trustee Report
5. Correspondence
6. Reports of Committees
7. Old Business
8. New Business
1. Fire Chief Report
10. Suggestions for the Good of the Company
11. Adjournment 

Article 9:        Disciplinary Proceedings

Section 1:        All disciplinary reports, regardless of the findings, must be recorded in writing and be kept in the personnel files.

Section 2:        All discipline matters brought before the fire company will be heard at a special meeting.  

Section 3:        Any member referring another member for disciplinary action must complete, in writing, the disciplinary referral form and submit it to the president. All discipline referrals must be submitted within five days of the incident.

Section 4:        The president and fire chief will make up the discipline team.  In their absence their responsibility is delegated to the appropriate subordinate officer stipulated in this document.

Section 5:        The discipline team will investigate, in a timely manner, all discipline referrals and have the authority to take any corrective measures necessary not exceeding the stipulations of Article 9, Section 6. After the completion of their investigation if the discipline team believes the incident warrants a more severe sanction than allowed under Article 9, Section 5, they will bring the matter before the fire company at a special meeting.

Section 6:        The discipline team has the authority to suspend members for a period not to exceed 30 accumulated days. Once a member accumulates 30 days of suspension the fire company will impose all future sanctions. Suspension time accumulates over the entire tenure of a member.

Section 7:        Upon completion of an investigation the accused will be notified of the findings and any sanctions.  The accused has 48 hours, from notice, to appeal the decision of the discipline team.  All appeals will be submitted to the secretary in writing. A member filing an appeal will remain active until their appeal can be heard.

Section 8:        In an appeal hearing a 2/3 vote is required to overturn the ruling of the discipline team.  Without a 2/3 vote the matter is resolved and the original sanction stands.

Section 9:        Any discipline matter brought before the fire company that is outside the authority of the discipline team will be decided by a company vote. After the discipline hearing is held in accordance to the stipulations of Article 9 Section 11, a ballot vote will be held to determine guilt or innocence of the accused. A majority vote is required to determine guilt. If the accused is found guilty any member can recommend a disciplinary action by motion and the motion will require a 2/3 vote to be approved. If a motion does not receive the required 2/3 votes other motions will be considered until the matter is resolved by a 2/3 vote. If a member is found not guilty the issue is resolved without sanctions.

Section 10:      No member can be a part of the discipline team that conducts the investigation if they are an immediate family member of the accused or accuser.

Section 11:      The order of the proceedings for a fire company disciplinary hearing is:

1. Review of the Charges by the Accuser
2. Accused Response to the Charges
3. Review of Investigation Findings by Discipline Team
4. Witnesses Called by the Accuser
5. Accused Cross Questioning of Witnesses
6. Witnesses Called by the Accused
7. Accuser Cross Questioning of the Witnesses
8. Closing Statement by the Accuser
9. Closing Statement by the Accused
10. Vote by Company                    
    1. To uphold or overturn sanctions if an appeal case.
    2. To determine guilt or innocence if an original hearing
    3.  If an original hearing and found guilty to impose sanctions ??????? 
       1.  
       10. Article 9  Section 11 Subsection 1:
       10. Any member can question any person offering testimony. In order to ask a question a member will raise his hand and wait to be recognized by the chairperson. The chairperson will only permit questions and will not allow opinions to be offered.  Any member who disrupts the proceedings will be called to order by the chairperson. If the member continues to disrupt the proceedings the chairperson will have the disruptive member removed and said member will not be permitted to participate in the discipline hearing.

Subsection 2:  The decision of the fire company is final. Any member cleared of charges cannot be retried for the same incident. 

Article 10       Amendments and Authority

Section 1:        To amend or annul any part of this document the change needs to be proposed and read at a regular monthly meeting and read and approved at the next consecutive monthly meeting. A 2/3 vote of the members present at a monthly meeting is required to amend or annul any part of this document.

Section 2:        This Constitution is the governing document of this organization.  No other document will override the authority of this Constitution.