Establishes grant program to provide thermal imaging and radio equipment to certain fire departments.

A4320

ASSEMBLY, No. 4320

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� SHANIQUE SPEIGHT

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Establishes grant program to provide thermal imaging
and radio equipment to certain fire departments.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act
establishing a grant program for certain fire equipment
and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.�

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

���� 1.��� a.� As used in this
section:

���� �Radio repeater� means
a fixed or portable automatic radio-relay
station that allows communication between members of a fire department or
between two or more fire departments, which communication would otherwise be
unable to communicate directly with each other due to distance or physical
obstructions.

���� �Thermal imaging body camera�
means a heat-resistant, mobile audio and video recording system worn by a
firefighter that is capable of recording images through smoke or heat-permeable
barriers.�

���� �Thermal imaging mask� means a
firefighter�s mask that contains a lightweight fire-resistant camera that is
capable of displaying a thermal image at all times and allows a firefighter to
view areas through smoke or heat-permeable barriers.��

���� "Qualifying fire
organizations" means a paid, part-paid, or volunteer fire district, fire
company, or fire department responsible for providing fire protection to a
municipality with a population of 100,000 or more residents according to the
most recent estimates issued by the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

���� b.��� There is established in
the Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs a thermal
imaging equipment and radio repeater grant program.� Under the program, grants
shall be made available to qualifying fire organizations for the purchase of
thermal imaging body cameras, thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters or to
reimburse qualifying fire organizations for public funds other than State funds
that have been expended for the purchase of thermal imaging body cameras,
thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters. The department shall contract with
a manufacturer to obtain the best price available.�

���� c.���� (1) Except as provided
in subparagraph (2) of this subsection, the grant program shall provide each
qualifying fire organization in a municipality with a population of 100,000 to
299,000 with $150,000 to be divided equally among the qualifying fire
organizations every three years commencing with the fiscal year next following
the effective date of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.�� �����) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill);

���� (2)�� The grant program shall
provide qualifying fire organizations in a municipality with a population of
300,000 or more with $150,000 every three years commencing with the fiscal year
next following the effective date of P.L.��� , c.��� (C.�� �����) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).

���� d.��� The Division of Fire
Safety shall review the grant program every five years to verify whether
qualifying fire organizations are utilizing the most up-to-date thermal imaging
body cameras, thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters and whether to make
recommendations reinitiate the grant program.�

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.�

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes a grant
program in the Division of Fire Safety to provide thermal imaging body cameras,
thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters to fire departments responsible for
providing fire protection to municipalities with a population of 100,000 or
more residents.�

���� Under the bill, qualifying
fire departments in municipalities with a population of 100,000 to 299,000 are
to receive $150,000 to be divided equally among the qualifying fire
organizations every three years for the purpose of purchasing body cameras,
masks, and radio repeaters.� Qualifying fire departments in municipalities with
a population of 300,000 or more are to receive $150,000 every three years.�

���� The bill requires the Division
of Fire Safety to review the grant program every five years to verify whether
qualifying fire organizations are utilizing the most up-to-date thermal imaging
body cameras, thermal imaging masks, and radio repeaters and whether to make
recommendations to reinitiate the grant program.�

���� The bill defines �thermal
imaging body camera� as a heat-resistant, mobile audio and video recording
system worn by a firefighter that is capable of recording images through smoke
or heat-permeable barriers.� �Thermal imaging mask� is defined as a
firefighter�s mask that contains a lightweight fire-resistant camera that is
capable of displaying a thermal image at all times and allows the firefighter
to view areas through smoke or heat-permeable barriers.� A �radio repeater� is
defined
as a fixed or portable
automatic radio-relay station that allows communication between two or more
fire departments that would otherwise be unable to communicate directly with
each other due to distance or physical obstructions.