The following words and terms, as used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
"Law enforcement agency" or "agency" means any public agency, police force, department, or division within the State, or any county or municipality thereof which, is empowered by statute to act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, detention, or rehabilitation of persons violating the criminal laws of this State. Law enforcement agency shall include the Juvenile Justice Commission, but shall not otherwise include the Department of Law and Public Safety.
"Law enforcement officer" or "officer" means any person who is employed as a permanent full-time member of any State, county, or municipal law enforcement agency who is statutorily empowered to act for the detection, investigation, arrest, conviction, detention, or rehabilitation of persons violating the criminal laws of this State and statutorily required to successfully complete a training course approved by, or certified as being substantially equivalent to such an approved course, by the Police Training Commission pursuant to 52:17B-66 et seq.
"Paid firefighter" or "firefighter" means any full-time paid firefighter employed by a public fire department as provided in 40A:14-200.
"Public fire department" or "department" means any department of a municipality, county, fire district or the State or any agency thereof having employees engaged in firefighting provided that such firefighting employees are included in a negotiating unit exclusively comprised of firefighting employees.
N.J. Admin. Code § 1:4B-2.1