Emergency Management

Organization

The Springfield Police Auxiliary is a service organization composed entirely of volunteer members. It is an operating division of the Springfield Office of Emergency Management upon which it relies for all budgetary requirements. The Auxiliary Police or Police Reserve as it was known in the 1950’s and 1960’s was reorganized in 1967 to serve as an immediately available source of manpower to augment or replace the services of the Springfield Police Department. In other than emergency situations, the Auxiliary serves as a supplement to and a component of the Springfield Police Department. If an emergency occurs which, for example, requires the regular department to assist another community, the Auxiliary would assume the patrol duties of the regular department for the duration of the emergency. So that the Auxiliary remains familiar with the procedures of the regular department, it is necessary for all members of the Auxiliary to maintain competency in patrol work, dispatching, Municipal Court security etc. For this purpose the Auxiliary is “attached” to the regular department for training in these and other areas of responsibility. Regular patrol tours are required as well as duty tours which include dispatching, call handling, and court security. In this continuous training program the Auxiliary is responsible, on a day-to-day basis, to the regular department. Auxiliary officers reporting for patrol duty work directly for the superior officer in charge of the police shift on duty at that time. The work is, in effect, “on the job training”. The Auxiliary is organized similar to the Regular Department with a cadre of officers in command positions who supervise officers. Liaison with the regular Police department is conducted through a department appointed “liaison officer” who is responsible to the Chief of Police for the Auxiliary’s training and performance. Emergency Management provides each member of the Auxiliary with all required uniforms and equipment. Patrol duty typically is performed in one of the Auxiliary’s two fully equipped patrol cars.

Eligibility Requirements

Application for membership in the Police Auxiliary may be made by any permanent resident of the Township of Springfield who is at least 18 years of age and a U.S. citizen. Persons currently attending high school are not eligible.

Police Auxiliary Duties and Responsibilities

All members of the Auxiliary are required to satisfactorily complete the New Jersey State Auxiliary Police Training Program during the first year of membership. The course is offered at the Union County Police Chief’s Academy, John H. Stamler Police Academy, Scotch Plains, NJ. Attendance is mandatory. Under current law, satisfactory completion of the basic course is a prerequisite for performing active duty with the Auxiliary. All members of the Auxiliary also must complete a training program leading to certification in basic first aid from the American Red Cross. Certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from the American Heart Association is strongly encouraged. First aid certification is valid for a period of three years: CPR certification is valid for a period of one year. Once certified, members must maintain their certification. Courses in basic first aid and CPR and recertification courses are scheduled through and funded by Emergency Management. All members of the Auxiliary must complete a New Jersey Police Training Commission approved course in firearms qualification. Twice each year, usually during April and October, PTC certified instructors from the regular department will present a complete training course in Firearms safety, familiarization, and combat range qualification. Satisfactory completion of the firearms training program is a prerequisite for both initial and continuing eligibility to carry a firearm when performing Auxiliary duty. By law, the arming of the Auxiliary is left to the discretion of the municipal governing body (Township Committee) and the Chief of Police; the concurrence of both is required for the arming of each member. All members are expected to attend the regular meetings of the Auxiliary which are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. Training sessions usually are conducted immediately following the regular business meeting. At various times during the year, advanced training courses are offered. All members are encouraged to attend such courses. In some cases, attendance may be declared mandatory, such as for courses in refresher first aid, CPR, and non-lethal defense methods. In other cases, attendance may be discretionary, such as for courses in street survival, defensive driving, report writing, etc. In all cases, tuition is funded by Emergency Management. By law, each Auxiliary officer is required to perform a minimum of six patrol tours per quarter. Patrols are performed in the evenings, but can be at any time, usually between the hours of 6:00 pm and 12:00 midnight; starting times earlier than 6:00 pm are prohibited. On weekends, both daytime and evening patrols are permitted. In addition, members are required to perform duty at special events, such as the Memorial Day Parade, July 4th Fireworks, Township sponsored street fairs, foot races, etc. Participation generally is mandatory since the Township usually designates Emergency Management as the agency responsible for security, crowd control and traffic control at such events. Members are evaluated constantly with regard to their performance, in terms of both quality and quantity. Administrative review procedures for new members include a one year probationary period, during which performance evaluations occur more frequently and during which the probationary officer may be dismissed without cause.

Application

Click here to download an application for membership in the Auxiliary Police. 

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, shelter management, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises. CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community If you are considering helping out your community please contact Springfield Department of Emergency Management at 973-376-1058. 

Click here to download an application for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)