40A:14-182 Federal firefighters, certain; appointment.

1. a. The provisions of any other law to the contrary notwithstanding, the appointing authority of a municipality which, pursuant to N.J.S.40A:14-7, has established and maintains a paid or part-paid fire department and force or the board of fire commissioners in the case of a fire district established pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.40A:14-70 et seq., may appoint as a member or officer of that fire department or force any person who:

(1) was serving as a civilian federal firefighter in good standing at any U.S. military installation in the State in a career or conditional career status;

(2) satisfactorily completed such firefighter training as is required for employment as a civilian federal firefighter; and

(3) was, as a consequence of the closure of, or a reduction in force or elimination of his position at, a federal military installation in this State, terminated as a civilian federal firefighter within 60 months prior to the appointment.

b. A municipality may employ such a person notwithstanding that:

(1) Title 11A, Civil Service, of the New Jersey Statutes is operative in that municipality;

(2) the municipality has available to it an eligible or regular reemployment list of persons eligible for such appointments; and

(3) the appointed person is not on any eligible list. A municipality which has adopted Title 11A, Civil Service, may not employ such a person if a special reemployment list is in existence for the firefighter title to be filled.

c. If a municipality determines to appoint a person pursuant to the provisions of this act, it shall give first priority in making such appointments to residents of the municipality and second priority to residents of the county not residing in the municipality.

d. The seniority, seniority-related privileges and rank a civilian federal firefighter possessed while employed at a federal military installation shall not be transferable to a position in a municipal fire department and force obtained pursuant to the provisions of this section.

e. To effectuate the purposes of this section, the Civil Service Commission shall prepare and circulate, to those municipalities which have established and maintain fire departments and forces pursuant to N.J.S.40A:14-7, and to boards of fire commissioners in the case of fire districts established pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.40A:14-70 et seq., a list of civilian federal firefighters eligible for appointment under the provisions of this section. The Civil Service Commission shall also circulate the list to municipalities and fire districts that have not adopted Title 11A, Civil Service, of the New Jersey Statutes.

Placement on the list compiled by the commission shall be governed by length of service as a federal firefighter. A federal firefighter may apply for placement on the list at the time he or she receives a notice of termination of position or a priority placement program notice, and shall remain on the list for a period of four years.

L.1996, c.140, s.1; amended 2008, c.29, s.100; 2010, c.43, s.2; 2012, c.33.