District's COVID-19 Rules

Please be advised the District is implementing a policy to continue operations while minimizing the exposure to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and ensure the safety of all firefighters and staff. The District is working diligently to implement policies designed to protect all personnel. The present protocols are based on the Best Practices from the CDC as well as State and Federal Directives.

Definitions:

Member—All members of the district including career, volunteer and staff

Employee—All members of the district including career and staff

Internal Operation Protocols:

  1. The District and firefighters will clean and disinfect high-touch areas routinely in accordance with CDC guidelines; maintain all cleaning procedures in all other areas of the facilities and apparatus.
  2. All members and staff are required to maintain six (6) feet or more distance between them wherever possible, if unable a face covering should be worn.
  3. Any members working where public has access will wear a face covering. A face covering is required if the members are in a common area of any building/office with another individual and cannot social distance themselves. Everyone must wear face coverings when in prolonged proximity to others.
    • A face covering is not required when in an employee’s private office.
  4. All employees are required to practice regular hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquette, and proper tissue usage and disposal.

Out-of-State travel and Quarantine

  1. The District strongly recommends that any member of the District not travel to any state on the New Jersey travel advisory list. Any member who, while not on District business, travels out of the State of New Jersey to a state that is subject to the official State of New Jersey travel advisory list shall immediately notify their supervisor of said travel, prior to returning to work. Failure to disclose travel could be reason for disciplinary action. The travel advisory list is found here: https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/travel-information/which-states-are-on-the-travel-advisory-list-are-there-travel-restrictions-to-or-from-new-jersey.

a. Any member who passed through a designated state for a period of limited duration (i.e. less than 24 hours) without an overnight stay, through the course of travel is not subject to the voluntary quarantine.

b. If a member chooses to travel to a state on the list, they will be subject to complete a 14 day quarantine. An employee shall use accrued leave or request unpaid leave from the District to complete the 14 days.

Exposure to COVID-19

  1. Any member who appears to have symptoms, other than known medical conditions, consistent with COVID-19 illness prior to work should stay home, if the member upon arrival at work has symptoms, or becomes sick during the day, shall notify their supervisor and will be immediately sent home, until medically cleared to return.
  2. The District will promptly notify all members of any known exposure to COVID-19 at the District, consistent with the confidentiality requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and any other applicable laws.
  3. Employees with a non-line of duty exposure, as defined by CDC guidelines, are required to use accrued leave or request unpaid leave from the District.
  4. To be entitled to partially paid FMLA leave, employees must complete the required paperwork with a health care provider indicating the employee is unable to work because of a bona fide need to care for an individual subject to quarantine (pursuant to Federal, State, or local government order or advice of a health care provider), or to care for a child (under 18 years of age) whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19, and/or the employee is experiencing a substantially similar condition as specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretaries of the Treasury and Labor.
  5. Once the employee has been medically cleared to return to work, the employee must use their accrued leave if choosing not returning to work.
  6. If an employee does not want to return to work, but does not qualify for FMLA leave or has exhausted FMLA leave, the employee will be required to use accrued leave.
  7. All members previously diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus must provide a note from a physician that the employee is cleared to return to work.