Bill Text: NJ S3476 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes grant program to provide thermal imaging and radio equipment to certain fire departments.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-20 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee [S3476 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S3476-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator BRITNEE N. TIMBERLAKE
District 34 (Essex)
Senator M. TERESA RUIZ
District 29 (Essex)
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.
