Section 100-B:4 General Requirements.
I. No fire department, fire district, or municipality shall be required to establish an awards program.
II. An active volunteer or call firefighter, or emergency medical technician shall be eligible to participate in any service awards program provided under this chapter if the active volunteer firefighter, call firefighter, or emergency medical technician has reached the age of 18, has completed at least one year of firefighting service, and has achieved state certified level I firefighter or has attained certification as an emergency medical technician.
III. Each volunteer eligible for membership shall file an application for membership in the plan with the local governing body, which shall certify that the prospective member has fulfilled the requirements of a volunteer. Once a volunteer becomes a member in the plan, the member may not withdraw contributions with the credited interest thereon unless such member terminates volunteer service with the department, subject to the conditions as set forth in RSA 100-B:6 and RSA 100-B:12.
IV. A volunteer's status as a member shall continue after being accepted as a member of the plan except for the following circumstances which constitute a break in service:
(a) If the volunteer is unable to meet the eligibility requirements for any annual period, a volunteer may rejoin the plan as of any future January 1, if the member qualifies as a volunteer.
(b) If the volunteer is granted a leave of absence for any annual period, a volunteer may rejoin the plan as of any future January 1, if the member qualifies as a volunteer.
(c) A volunteer who is terminated for any reason other than death, disability or retirement shall be entitled to a lump sum payment equal to the member's contributions with credited interest thereon to the date of such termination payable within 90 days after such termination with the added provision that the volunteer may elect to maintain contributions in the plan for a period not to exceed the volunteer's credited length of service at termination for purposes of later resuming volunteer service.
(d) If the volunteer qualifies and resumes services, the volunteer may rejoin the plan as of any future January 1. If the volunteer does not resume volunteer service within the period of the credited length of service, the provisions of subparagraph (c) shall apply at the end of the period.
Source. 1996, 211:1, eff. Jan. 1, 1997.