Expands authority of emergency management departments in requesting assistance outside normal territorial jurisdictions.

A4495

ASSEMBLY, No. 4495

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 9, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� DAWN FANTASIA

District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)

SYNOPSIS

���� Expands authority of emergency management departments
in requesting assistance outside normal territorial jurisdictions.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning emergency management, and amending various parts of the statutory
law.

����
Be It Enacted

by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.1993,
c.58 (C.26:2K-60) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� In the event of an
emergency, the chief executive officer
or a designee
of any volunteer
first aid, ambulance or rescue squad
, or any municipal emergency management
coordinator,
or the mayor or chief executive officer of any municipality
may request assistance from the chief executive officer
or a designee
of
any volunteer first aid, ambulance or rescue squad located in and serving
another municipality for the protection and preservation of life within the
territorial jurisdiction served by the squad
, official, or officer

requesting the assistance.

���� The chief executive officer
or
a designee
of the volunteer first aid, ambulance or rescue squad located in
and normally serving a contiguous municipality to whom such a request for
assistance is made shall, except as hereinafter otherwise set forth, provide
such personnel and equipment as requested to the extent possible without
endangering any person or property within the municipality in which the
assisting squad is located and which it normally serves.

���� The members of any squad
providing assistance shall have, while so acting, the same rights and
immunities as they otherwise enjoy in the performance of their normal duties in
the municipality, or other territorial jurisdiction, in which the squad is located
and which it normally serves.

���� If any member of the assisting
first aid, ambulance or rescue squad shall, in rendering such assistance,
suffer any injury or death, the member or his designee or legal representative
shall be entitled to all salary, pension rights, workers compensation and other
benefits to which the member would be entitled if the casualty or death had
occurred in the performance of the member's duties in the municipality, or
other territorial jurisdiction, in which the squad is located and which it
normally serves.

(cf: P.L.1993, c.58, s.1)

���� 2.��� N.J.S.40A:14-26 is
amended to read as follows:

���� 40A:14-26.� In the event of an
emergency
,
the chief or head of any municipal fire department and
force, volunteer fire company, municipal police department and force or park
police department and force, or first aid or ambulance squad, corps or company,

or any

municipal emergency management
coordinator,
or the mayor or chief executive officer of any municipality
may request from the chief or the head of the fire department and force or
volunteer fire company of any other municipality assistance to protect life and
property outside the normal territorial jurisdiction of the department or
company to which such request is directed.

���� The chief or head of the fire
department and force
[
,
]

or volunteer fire company of any contiguous municipality
[
,
]
to whom such a
request for assistance is made shall, except as hereinafter otherwise set
forth, provide such personnel and equipment as requested to the extent possible
without endangering person or property within the municipality
[
rendering
]

in which
the fire department and force or volunteer fire company normally provides

such assistance.

���� The members of any department
and force or company providing assistance hereunder shall have, while so
acting, the same powers and authority as have the members of the fire
department and force or volunteer fire company of the municipality, or other
territorial jurisdiction, in which such aid is rendered.� Said members shall
also have, while so acting, such rights and immunities as they otherwise enjoy
in the performance of their normal duties in the municipality, or other
territorial jurisdiction,
[
rendering
]

in which the fire department and force or
volunteer fire company normally provides
such assistance.

���� Any municipality receiving
assistance hereunder shall pay to the fire department and force
[
,
]
or volunteer fire
company
[
,
]

providing the assistance a sum computed at the rate of
[
$3.00
]

$3
for each member and
[
$35.00
]

$35
for
each equipped fire apparatus for each hour supplied unless terms and conditions
for payment are otherwise provided for in an agreement between the several
municipalities.

���� Volunteer fire companies of
contiguous municipalities shall be required to respond to such requests for
assistance only to the extent they have agreed to do so in an agreement with a
paid fire department and force or a municipality.

���� If any member of
[
such other
]

the
assisting
fire department and force
[
,
]
or volunteer fire company shall, in rendering such
assistance, suffer any casualty or death
,
he or his designee or legal
representative shall be entitled to all salary, pension rights,
[
workmen's
]

workers'

compensation and other benefits to which such member would be entitled if such
casualty or death occurred in the performance of his duties in the
municipality, or other territorial jurisdiction,
[
rendering
]

in which the fire department and force or
volunteer fire company normally provides
such assistance.

(cf: P.L.1977, c.400, s.1)

���� 3.��� N.J.S.40A:14-156 is
amended to read as follows:

���� 40A:14-156.� In the event of
an emergency
,
the chief or other head of any municipal police department
and force or any park police department or system, municipal fire department
and force, volunteer fire company, or first aid or ambulance squad, corps or
company,
or any municipal emergency management coordinator,
or the mayor
or chief executive officer of the municipality may request
[
,
]
from the chief or
other head of the police department and force of any other municipality
[
,
]
assistance
for
police aid
outside the territorial jurisdiction of the department
and
force
to which such request is directed
[
for
police aid
]
, in order to protect life and
property or to assist in suppressing a riot or disorder
,
and while so
acting, the members of the police department and force supplying such� aid
shall have the same powers and authority as have the members of the police
department and force of the municipality in which such aid is being rendered.�
Said members shall also have, while so acting, such rights and immunities as
they may otherwise enjoy in the performance of their normal duties in the
municipality, or other territorial jurisdiction,
[
rendering
]

in which the police department and force normally
provides
such assistance.

���� The chief or head of the
police department and force to whom such a request for assistance is made
shall, in the case of a contiguous municipality, provide such personnel and
equipment as requested to the extent possible without endangering person or property
within the municipality
[
rendering
]

in which the department and force normally
provides
such assistance.

���� Any municipality receiving
assistance hereunder shall pay to the police department and force providing the
assistance a sum computed at the rate of
[
$3.00
]

$3
for each member and
[
$5.00
]

$5
for
each vehicle for each hour supplied unless terms and conditions for payment are
otherwise provided for in an agreement between the several municipalities.

���� If any member of
[
such other
]

the
assisting
police department and force in rendering such assistance shall
suffer a casualty or death, he or his designee or legal representative shall be
entitled to all salary, pension rights,
[
workmen's
]

workers'
compensation and other benefits to
which such member or officer would be entitled if such casualty or death
occurred in the performance of his normal duties in the municipality, or other
territorial jurisdiction
[
rendering
]

, in which
the department and force normally provides
such assistance.

(cf: P.L.1977, c.400, s.2)

���� 4.��� Section 1 of P.L.1976,
c.45 (C.40A:14-156.1) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� The governing bodies of
two or more municipalities may by reciprocal ordinances enter into agreements
with each other for mutual police or fire aid
or emergency management
assistance
in case of emergency.� Such agreements may provide for:

���� a.���� The reimbursement of
the municipality or municipalities rendering such aid, for any damage to police
or fire equipment or other property, and for payment to any member of a police
force or fire department and force or volunteer fire company
, or any
emergency management official or volunteer,
for injuries sustained while
serving pursuant to such agreements
,
or to a surviving spouse or other
dependent if death results;

���� b.��� A joint meeting of the
municipalities entering into such agreements, for the selection of necessary
officers or personnel, or for such other matters as are mutually deemed
necessary; and

���� c.���� The acquisition of
lands, and the establishment and maintenance of a central office.� Real and
personal property so acquired shall be held by such municipalities as tenants
in common.

���� The governing body of a
municipality may enter into an agreement with any authority created pursuant to
an interstate compact for mutual police or fire aid
or emergency management
assistance
in case of emergency.� The agreement may contain provisions
similar to the provisions in agreements between municipalities as provided
above.

(cf: P.L.1997, c.79, s.1)

���� 5.��� Section 2 of P.L.1976,
c.45 (C.40A:14-156.2) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� Members of a police
force or fire department and force or volunteer fire company
, or emergency
management personnel,
in any municipality entering into any agreement
hereunder, while on duty rendering assistance to any other municipality or
interstate authority created pursuant to an interstate compact entering into
said agreement, shall have the same powers, authority and immunities as have
the members of the police force or fire department and force or volunteer fire
company,
or emergency management personnel,
as the case may be, of the
municipality in which such assistance is being rendered or of the authority for
which such assistance is being rendered.

(cf: P.L.1997, c.79, s.2)

���� 6.��� Section 3 of P.L.1976,
c.45 (C.40A:14-156.3) is amended to read as follows:

���� 3.��� If any member of a
police force or fire department and force or volunteer fire company
, or
emergency management official or volunteer,
summoned pursuant to an
agreement to render assistance suffers injury or death in the performance of
his duties, he or his designee or legal representative shall be entitled to
such salary, pension rights,
[
workmen's
]

workers'
compensation or other benefits as
would have accrued if such injury or death had occurred in the performance of
duties in the territorial jurisdiction in which the duties were normally
performed.

(cf: P.L.1976, c.45, s.3)

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

STATEMENT

���� This bill expands the
authority of emergency management departments in requesting assistance outside
their normal territorial jurisdictions.� Under the bill's provisions, any
municipal emergency management coordinator is authorized to request assistance from
the chief executive officer or his or her designee of any volunteer first aid,
ambulance, or rescue squad; chief or other head of the fire department and
force or fire company; or chief or other head of the police department and
force located in and serving another municipality.

���� The bill also provides
emergency management personnel with the same statutory protections afforded to
members of police forces, fire departments and forces, and volunteer fire
companies in the event of injury or death while rendering assistance outside of
their normal operating jurisdiction.� If an individual were to suffer any
injury or death, the individual or the individual�s designee or legal
representative would be entitled to the salary, pension rights, workers�
compensation or other benefits as would be available if the injury or death
occurred in the territorial jurisdiction in which the individual normally
performed his or her duties.