July 25, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 13 Ho-Ho-Kus Volunteer Incentive Program qualifications updated by Jennifer Crusco The Ho-Ho-Kus Council recently approved an ordinance to amend borough firefighters’ qualifications for the Volunteer Incentive Program. The new ordinance did not change VIP eligibility requirements for members of the volunteer ambulance corps. Borough voters approved VIP, a stipend opportunity for firefighters and ambulance corps volunteers, in 2002. Later that year, the council approved the ordinance that outlines VIP eligibility requirements. VIP provides an annual stipend account for each active volunteer member who meets the eligibility criteria. The minimum annual contribution for an active, eligible volunteer member may not exceed $1,500 per year. According to the amendment, a member of the fire department must have been on the department for at least one year in order to be eligible for VIP. As before, the individual must have completed the Firefighter I coursework, must be in good standing, and must be approved by the mayor and council. “To qualify for any points in the program, a firefighter must have made a minimum of 30 percent of department calls during the calendar year,” the ordinance states. Once the firefighter has met this minimum, the following scale will apply to call percentage: 30 percent equals 30 points, 40 percent equals 40 points, and 50 percent equals 60 points. Firefighters who have satisfied the minimum call requirement will be eligible to earn points for cleanups and drills. Participation in each cleanup and each drill is worth one point. A minimum of 12 cleanups or drills is required for each category, with a maximum benefit of 20 points in each category. Once the minimum of 12 drills and 12 cleanups has been met, extras may be used to meet the 20 point maximum in both categories. Credit will be available for “extras,” such as classes, parades, Field Day, memorial services, mutual aid meetings, special drills, special events, Open House events, and fire prevention demonstrations. In order to earn credit for extras, participation in any designated event must be documented on a drill sheet. Firefighters will still receive $15 for each point earned. The maximum permitted will still be 100 points. Under the 2002 ordinance, firefighters have been qualifying for VIP according to the following point scale: response to alarms -- equal to or greater than 15 percent, 10 points; equal to or greater than 25 percent, 20 points; equal to or greater than 35 percent, 30 points; equal to or greater than 45 percent, 40 points. Firefighters can earn one point a week through weekly equipment checks. The scheduled minimum requirement is 12, and the maximum permitted is 25. Drills carry a credit of two points per exercise, with a minimum requirement of 24 and a maximum of 36 allowed. Firefighters are allowed one point per hour for education and training, with a maximum of 25 permitted. Extra service points are credited at one point per event, including parades, special events, Field Day, meetings, and memorial services, with a maximum of 20 permitted. Individuals who volunteer for both the fire department and ambulance corps are eligible to earn points for service to both groups. However, borough employees who are also volunteers for either emergency service provider will not be able to earn points while performing volunteer services to those organizations during regular work hours. Area Choir school spans generations, towns Front row: Brenda Roughgarden of Ramsey and Leslie Roughgarden Blanchard of Waldwick. Middle row: Liam, Adrianna, and Kyle Blanchard of Waldwick. Back row: Andy Roughgarden of Waldwick. For 40 years, West Side Presbyterian Church has welcomed children of all faiths to participate in its Summer Choir School. The longevity of the program has enabled the program to impact multiple generations. Brenda Roughgarden of Ramsey has been a member of West Side since 1952. She has been on the staff of the Summer Choir School for many years and her children, Andrew and Leslie, have also attended and are now on the staff. This year, Leslie Roughgarden Blanchard of Waldwick has her own children enrolled in the program. The Roughgarden/Blanchard family is just one of several families whose involvement in Summer Choir School spans generations. The program of Christian education through music is lead by Joanne Harris Rodland and Deborah Holden-Holloway, minister and associate minister of music at West Side. Other staff members include youths and adults from West Side and musicians and teachers from the surrounding communities. This year, three staff members who grew up at West Side will come with their children from Minnesota, Washington D.C., and Germany to participate in the Choir School. “Not only is the Summer Choir School in its 40th year, this year also marks the 100th year anniversary of West Side,” said Minister of Music Rodland. “We take great pride in West Side Summer Choir School. It is an important (continued on page 23)