Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • June 6, 2012 Ho-Ho-Kus Council moves to amend Volunteer Incentive Program by Jennifer Crusco The Ho-Ho-Kus Council recently introduced Ordinance 1009, a measure to amend firefighters’ qualifications for the borough’s Volunteer Incentive Program, a stipend opportunity commonly known as VIP. The program, which covers firefighters and ambulance corps volunteers, was approved by Ho-Ho-Kus voters in 2002. A related ordinance detailing VIP and individuals’ eligibility was approved by the council that year. According to the proposed amendment, a member of the fire department must have been on the department for at least one year in order to be eligible. 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,” Ordinance 1009 states. Once the firefighter has made this minimum, the following scale would apply to call percentage: 30 percent equals 30 points, 40 percent equals 40 points, and 50 percent equals 60 points. Once a firefighter has met the 30 percent minimum call percentage, he or she would be eligible to earn points for cleanups and drills. Participation in each cleanup and each drill would be worth one point. A minimum of 12 cleanups or drills would be 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 could be used to meet the 20 point maximum in both categories. Credit would also be available for “extras,” which include 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 would have to be documented on a drill sheet. Firefighters would still receive $15 for each point earned. The minimum to be eligible would remain at 35 points, and the maximum permitted would 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 permitted. 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. VIP eligibility requirements for members of the volunteer ambulance corps would not change under Ordinance 1009. Ambulance corps members also receive $15 per point earned. To qualify for VIP, ambulance corps volunteers must have current EMT and CPR certifications, must complete a six-month probation period, and must be approved by the Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor and Council. Members earn points by responding to alarms; attending cleanups, drills, and business meetings; continuing their education and training; and attending parades and other events. The 2002 referendum, which was approved 1,023 to 243 at the polls, 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 (continued on page 18) Veteran recognized (continued from page 9) traveled the farthest of the classmates who attended last week’s Memorial Day ceremony. She flew into Ho-Ho-Kus directly from her honeymoon in Bermuda. Price traveled from Massachusetts. Retired HoHo-Kus Public School teachers Al Molzan, a former science teacher, and Dave Cassells, a former social studies teacher, were also on hand for the occasion. Deleeuw grew up on Chestnut Place and served in the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company in Vietnam. After completing Helicopter Training School, he became a warrant officer. By the time he received his honorable discharge in 1973, Deleeuw had earned the Sharp Shooter’s Badge, the Aviation Bade, the Good Conduct Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm, the Vietnam Service Medal with four Bronze Stars, and the Air Medal with 43 Oak Leaf Clusters. Following his service in the U.S. Army, Deleeuw worked for various companies as chief pilot and as an aviation operations coordinator. Most recently, he was chief pilot for J. Fletcher Creamer & Sons. Memorial Park was created on East Franklin Turnpike on the grounds of the former borough hall. That building was razed in the early 1990s. Former mayor Rusty Thompson spearheaded the effort to create the memorial park.