§ 58-86-25. "Eligible firemen" defined; determination and certification of volunteers meeting qualifications.
§ 58‑86‑25. "Eligible firemen" defined; determination and certification ofvolunteers meeting qualifications.
"Eligible firemen"shall mean all firemen of the State of North Carolina or any politicalsubdivision thereof, including those performing such functions in theprotection of life and property through fire fighting within a county or citygovernmental unit and so certified to the Commissioner of Insurance by thegoverning body thereof, and who belong to a bona fide fire department which, asdetermined by the Commissioner, is classified as not less than class"9" or class "A" and "AA" departments inaccordance with rating methods, schedules, classifications, underwriting rules,bylaws or regulations effective or applied with respect to the establishment ofrates or premiums used or charged pursuant to Article 36 or 40 of this Chapteror by such other reasonable methods as the Commissioner may determine, andwhich operates fire apparatus and equipment of the value of five thousanddollars ($5,000) or more, and said fire department holds drills and meetingsnot less than four hours monthly and said firemen attend at least 36 hours ofall drills and meetings in each calendar year. "Eligible firemen"shall also mean an employee of a county whose sole duty is to act as firemarshal, deputy fire marshal, assistant fire marshal, or firefighter of thecounty, provided the board of county commissioners of that county certifies theemployee's attendance at no less than 36 hours of all drills and meetings ineach calendar year. "Eligible firemen" shall also mean those personsmeeting the other qualifications of this section, not exceeding 25 volunteerfiremen plus one additional volunteer fireman per 100 population in the areaserved by their respective departments. Each department shall annuallydetermine and report the names of those firemen meeting the eligibilityqualifications of this section to its respective governing body, which upondetermination of the validity and accuracy of the qualification shall promptlycertify the list to the North Carolina State Firemen's Association. TheFiremen's Association shall provide a list of those persons meeting theeligibility requirements of this section to the State Treasurer by January 31of each year. For the purposes of the preceding sentence, the governing body ofa fire department operated: by a county is the county board of commissioners;by a city is the city council; by a sanitary district is the sanitary districtboard; by a corporation, whether profit or nonprofit, is the corporation'sboard of directors; and by any other entity is that group designated by theboard. (1957,c. 1420, s. 1; 1959, c. 1212, s. 1; 1981, c. 1029, s. 1; 1983, c. 416, s. 7;1985, c. 241; 2000‑67, s. 26.22; 2001‑222, s. 1; 2003‑362, s.1; 2009‑66, s. 2(b).)