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120.2021 Vol. Firefighter & Emergency Squad Service Award Program Points Systems During COVID-19 Pandemic RESOLUTION AMENDING TOWN OF QUEENSBURY VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER AND EMERGENCY SQUAD SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM POINT SYSTEMS FOR PERIOD OF MARCH, 2020 – DECEMBER 2020 WHEN SPECIAL RESPONSE RULES WERE IN EFFECT DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC OF 2020 RESOLUTION NO.: 120, 2021 INTRODUCED BY: Mr. Anthony Metivier WHO MOVED ITS ADOPTION SECONDED BY: Mr. George Ferone WHEREAS, as authorized by Articles 11-A and 11-AA of the New York State General Municipal Law the Queensbury Town Board established Service Award Programs for volunteer members of the Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., Queensbury Central Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., South Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., (Fire Companies) and Bay Ridge, West Glens Falls and North Queensbury Rescue Squads (Squads), respectively, and WHEREAS, active volunteer members of the Fire Companies and Squads earn Service Award Program service credit under the Service Award Program Point Systems adopted by the Town Board, and WHEREAS, in response to the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY and issued EXECUTIVE ORDER 202 OF 2020 and in response to the STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY New York State towns, villages, cities and/or their volunteer fire company and/or ambulance company officials adopted Special Response Rules restricting volunteer fire and ambulance company members responses to emergency responses and/or restricting the holding of activities for which points could be earned by volunteers during the STATE DISASTER EMERGENCY, and WHEREAS, the adoption of the Special Response Rules has affected the ability of active volunteer fire company and ambulance company members to earn points in Service Award Programs, and WHEREAS, in recognition of the negative effect these Special Response Rules has on the ability of active volunteer fire company and ambulance company members to earn service credit during 2020 under Service Award Program point systems, New York State legislators and Governor Andrew Cuomo enacted legislation intended to prevent active volunteer company members who would have earned service award program service credit during 2020 from failing to earn a year of service award program service credit during 2020 due to the adoption of Special Response Rules, and WHEREAS, this legislation, Chapter 113 of 2020 of the Laws of the State of New York, authorizes the Town Board to adopt a Resolution to amend the Fire Companies’ and Squads’ Service Award Program point systems by adding a new category to the point systems under which up to five (5) points per month (prorated for periods of less than one month) may be awarded to active volunteer members of the Fire Companies and Squads during the period when the Special Response Rules are in in effect, and WHEREAS, should the Town Board elect to adopt such a Resolution, Chapter 113 of the Laws of 2020 of the State of New York provides that the adoption of such Resolution does not require approval of Town of Queensbury residents at a Town election, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that by adopting this Resolution, the Queensbury Town Board adds the following new category to the Town of Queensbury Volunteer Firefighter and Emergency Squad’s Service Award Program Point Systems: COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 As a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020, the Town Board of the Town of Queensbury and the governing board of the Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., Queensbury Central Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., South Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and Bay Ridge, West Glens Falls and North Queensbury Rescue Squads adopted Special Response Rules under which the activities for which active volunteer members of the Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., Queensbury Central Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., South Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and Bay Ridge, West Glens Falls and North Queensbury’s Rescue Squads could earn points under the Service Award Program point system were reduced and/or restricted effective as of March, 2020. Such reduction/restriction in activities will continue until the effective date the Special Response Rules are rescinded and all volunteer firefighter and ambulance company members’ activities restored and restrictions on such activities removed by the Town Board and the governing board of the Town of Queensbury Fire Companies and Rescue Squads. From the effective date of the adoption of the Special Response Rules to the end of December 31, 2020, all active volunteer members of the Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., Queensbury Central Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., South Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and Bay Ridge, West Glens Falls and North Queensbury Rescue Squad’s shall be awarded two (2) points per month with such number of points prorated for periods of less than a complete month (for a maximum of 20 points for the time period of March 2020 – December 2020). In no event shall points be awarded to active volunteer members of the Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., Queensbury Central Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., South Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and Bay Ridge, West Glens Falls and North Queensbury Rescue Squads in accordance with Chapter 113, after January 1, 2021, unless New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo once again extends Executive Order 202 of 2020 and the Town Board adopts a Resolution authorizing it. As soon as administratively feasible after the adoption of this Resolution by the Town Board, active volunteer members of the Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., Queensbury Central Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., South Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and Bay Ridge, West Glens Falls and North Queensbury Rescue Squads shall be given a written Notice of Amendment announcing the adoption of, and including an explanation of, this additional category to the point system. As soon as administratively feasible, after the Town Board and governing board of the Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., Queensbury Central Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., South Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and Bay Ridge, West Glens Falls and North Queensbury Rescue Squads rescind the Special Response Rules, a second Notice of Amendment shall be given to active volunteer members of the Fire Companies and Squads stating the effective date that the Special Response Rules have been rescinded, and indicating the number of points to be awarded to each active volunteer member during the period when the Special Response Rules were in effect. Since this amendment to the Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., Queensbury Central Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., South Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and Bay Ridge, West Glens Falls and North Queensbury Rescue Squad’s Service Award Programs points system is intended to prevent active volunteer members who would otherwise have earned service award program credit under the point system during 2020 from failing to earn credit during 2020, the adoption of this Resolution is expected to have little if any effect on the annual cost of the Bay Ridge Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., North Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., Queensbury Central Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., South Queensbury Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and West Glens Falls Volunteer Fire Co., Inc., and Bay Ridge, West Glens Falls and North Queensbury Rescue Squad’s Service Award Programs. All other provisions of the Volunteer Firefighter and Emergency Squad Service Award Programs shall not change as a result of the adoption of this Resolution and the Programs shall continue to be administered by the Town of Queensbury in accordance with Article 11-A and 11-AA of the New York State General Municipal Law as such laws are amended from time to time. and BE IT FURTHER, RESOLVED, that the Town Board further authorizes and directs the Town Supervisor, Town Clerk, Town Counsel and/or Town Budget Officer to take all actions necessary to effectuate the terms of this Resolution. th Duly adopted this 5 day of April, 2021, by the following vote: AYES: Mr. Freer, Mr. Ferone, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Strough, Mr. Metivier NOES: None ABSENT: None