By Nicole M. Wells, Special Writer
CRANBURY — The Township Committee voted 3-0 to introduce an ordinance that would create a volunteer financial incentive program for fire company and first aid squad members at its meeting on Nov. 24.
Committeeman Jay Taylor abstained from the vote because he is a member of Cranbury Volunteer Fire Company and Committeeman Glenn Johnson was absent from the meeting.
According to a copy of the text, ordinance 11-14-12 would supplement the township code by creating a new section "to recognize the personal commitment of time, energy and expertise of the responders" and "to encourage members to respond to as many calls as possible."
It would do this by providing for an incentive program to encourage volunteering for the fire company and first aid squad, which are both volunteer organizations.
"The fire department came to us early in the year and said that they were concerned about their ability to recruit sufficient additional personnel in order to maintain a volunteer fire department and the first aid squad had the same issue," Mayor Susan Goetz said, after the meeting. "So they were looking for some help from us to provide incentives."
According to the ordinance, the program would be funded annually by no more than $10,000, which would be evenly split between the fire company and the first aid squad.
"(It’s) so they have some sort of a reward or a thank you for those that get up in the middle of the night and go out and do these calls," Mayor Goetz said.
In order to create the program, a $10,000 line item was included in the budget at the beginning of this year, she said.
Each organization would be responsible for distributing the township appropriation to its members in a manner that encourages them to respond to calls and that is in strict accord with its own rules and bylaws, the ordinance states.
Each organization would also be free to raise additional funds from other sources to supplement the township appropriation.
The ordinance states that no member would be allowed to receive more than $500 of the township appropriation in any one-year.
An accounting of the distribution of the township appropriation would be made by the organization to the Township Administrator no more than 30 days later, detailing the member’s name, amount received, method for determining the distribution of funds and certification that the person is a volunteer.
According to the ordinance, providing this accounting would be a prerequisite for the organization to receive the township appropriation the next year.
Calls to Cranbury Volunteer Fire Company and Cranbury First Aid Squad seeking comment were not immediately returned.
The second reading and public hearing of the proposed ordinance will be held on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. in the meeting room of Town Hall.

