2023 New York Laws › VOL - Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit › Article 2 - Coverage and Benefits › 5 - Coverage.

§ 5. Coverage.  1.  The  duties  and  activities  in relation to which
  benefits shall be paid and provided pursuant to this chapter are:
a. Necessary travel to, working at,  and  necessary  travel  returning
  from  a  fire,  alarm  of  fire,  hazardous  material  incident or other
  emergency to which his  fire  department,  fire  company,  or  any  unit
  thereof,  either  has  responded  or  would be required or authorized to
  respond, including necessary  travel  during  such  work  or  incidental
  thereto.
b.   While,  within  the  state,  personally  assisting  another  fire
  department, fire company, or any unit thereof pursuant to the provisions
  of section two hundred nine-i of the general municipal  law,  including,
  after  his  services  have  been  duly accepted, necessary travel to and
  returning from such work  and  necessary  travel  during  such  work  or
  incidental thereto.
c.  While,  within  the state and pursuant to orders or authorization,
  performing duties at the firehouse, or elsewhere,  directly  related  to
  (1) the prevention of fires or other disasters, (2) the investigation of
  fires  or  other  disasters,  (3)  the  inspection  of property for fire
  hazards  or  other  dangerous  conditions,  including  necessary  travel
  directly connected therewith.
d.  While,  within this country or in Canada and pursuant to orders or
  authorization, instructing or being instructed in fire duties, attending
  a  training  school  or  course  of  instruction  for  firefighters,  or
  attending  or  participating  in  any  noncompetitive  training program,
  including necessary travel directly  connected  therewith,  as  well  as
  necessary travel to and necessary travel returning from such activity.
e.  While,  within this country or in Canada and pursuant to orders or
  authorization, attending or participating in any drill, parade, funeral,
  inspection or review in which his fire department, fire company, or  any
  unit  thereof, is engaged, including necessary travel directly connected
  therewith, as well as necessary travel to and necessary travel from such
  activity.
f. While, within the state and pursuant to  orders  or  authorization,
  attending or working at meetings of his fire department or fire company,
  or  any  organized  unit  thereof,  at the firehouse or other regular or
  special headquarters of  the  department,  company  or  unit,  including
  necessary  travel  directly  connected therewith other than travel to or
  returning from such meetings.
g. While, within the state and pursuant to  orders  or  authorization,
  working in connection with the construction, testing, inspection, repair
  or  maintenance  of  (1) the firehouse and the fixtures, furnishings and
  equipment thereof, and (2) the fire fighting  vehicles,  fire  apparatus
  and  equipment  used by the fire department, fire company, or other unit
  thereof, including necessary travel directly connected  therewith  other
  than travel to or returning from such work.
h.  While,  within  the state and pursuant to orders or authorization,
  working in connection with the construction, testing, inspection, repair
  or maintenance of the fire alarm system, water supply system, fire well,
  fire cistern or fire suction pool, used by the fire department  or  fire
  company,  including  necessary  travel  directly connected therewith, as
  well as necessary travel to and necessary travel from such activity.
i. While, within this country or in Canada and pursuant to  orders  or
  authorization,  practicing  for,  or participating as a contestant or an
  official in, any competitive tournament, contest  or  public  exhibition
  conducted  for  firefighters which is intended to promote the efficiency
  of the fire department, fire company  or  any  unit  thereof,  including
  necessary  travel  directly connected therewith other than travel to and
  returning from such practice. The actual  rendition  of  fire  or  other

  emergency service shall not be deemed "practicing" within the meaning of
  this paragraph.
j.  While,  pursuant  to  orders  or  authorization,  engaged  in  the
  inspection of  fire  fighting  vehicles  and  fire  apparatus  prior  to
  delivery  under a contract of purchase, or performing duties in relation
  to the delivery thereof, including necessary travel  directly  connected
  therewith, as well as necessary travel to and necessary travel returning
  from such activity.
k.  Necessary travel to, work in connection with, and necessary travel
  returning from a call for general ambulance service by a  member  of  an
  emergency  rescue  and  first  aid  squad  which  has been authorized to
  furnish such service pursuant to  section  two  hundred  nine-b  of  the
  general  municipal  law,  including necessary travel during such work or
  incidental thereto.
l. While, within this country or Canada  and  pursuant  to  orders  or
  authorization,  attending  a convention or conference of firefighters or
  fire officers or fire district officers as the  authorized  delegate  or
  representative  of  his or her fire department, fire company or any unit
  thereof, including necessary travel  directly  connected  therewith,  as
  well  as  necessary  travel  to and necessary travel returning from such
  activity.
m. While, within the state and pursuant to  orders  or  authorization,
  working  in  connection  with a fund raising activity of his or her fire
  company, as defined in subdivision fifteen  of  section  three  of  this
  chapter including necessary travel directly connected therewith, as well
  as  necessary  travel  to  and  necessary  travel  returning  from  such
  activity, but shall not include competitive events  in  which  volunteer
  firefighters  are  competitors,  such as baseball, basketball, football,
  bowling, tugs  of  war,  water-ball  fights,  donkey  baseball,  boxing,
  wrestling,  contests  between  bands or drum corps, or other competitive
  events in which volunteer firefighters are competitors and which involve
  physical exertion on the part of the competitors.
n. While, within the state and pursuant to  orders  or  authorization,
  performing  work  or  service  leading  or  directing  a  youth  program
  established pursuant to  section  two  hundred  four-b  of  the  general
  municipal  law, including necessary travel directly connected therewith,
  as well as necessary travel to and necessary travel returning from  such
  activity.  This paragraph shall not be interpreted as providing coverage
  for participants in such youth programs.
o. While, within the state and pursuant to  orders  or  authorization,
  performing the duty of pumping out water or any other substance from the
  basement  or  other  part  of  a  building,  including  necessary travel
  directly connected therewith.
p. While, within the state and pursuant to  orders  or  authorization,
  instructing,   supervising,  being  instructed  or  participating  in  a
  supervised physical fitness class, group  session  or  program  for  the
  purpose  of  promoting or maintaining the performance of their duties as
  firefighters, as well as necessary travel to and necessary  travel  from
  such  activity,  but  shall  not  include competitive sporting events in
  which volunteer firefighters are competitors.
2. Benefits shall not be paid and provided pursuant to this chapter in
  the following instances:
a. Work or service rendered by a  volunteer  firefighter  while  on  a
  leave of absence pursuant to either section two hundred-b or section two
  hundred-c  of  the general municipal law, unless such work or service is
  performed pursuant to subdivision one-a  of  section  two  hundred-b  or
  subdivision one-a of section two hundred-c of the general municipal law,
  or  pursuant  to  any  other  general,  special or local law, charter or

  ordinance or pursuant to the constitution, by-laws, rules or regulations
  applicable to the fire company or fire department of which he or she  is
  a member.
b. Practice for and participation in any recreational, social, or fund
  raising  activity  other than a fund raising activity for which coverage
  is provided under paragraph m of subdivision one of this section.
c. Work or service rendered by a volunteer firefighter while suspended
  from duty  pursuant  to  section  two  hundred  nine-l  of  the  general
  municipal law, article eight of the village law or pursuant to any other
  general,  special  or local law, charter or ordinance or pursuant to the
  constitution, by-laws, rules  or  regulations  applicable  to  the  fire
  company or fire department of which he or she is a member.
d.  Work  or  service  not  rendered  as  a volunteer firefighter, but
  rendered as an officer, official or employee of a public corporation  or
  any special district thereof, whether with or without remuneration, even
  though  by  law  a  requirement  for such office, position or employment
  shall be that such officer, official or employee shall have been or must
  be a volunteer firefighter.
e. Work or service  not  rendered  as  a  volunteer  firefighter,  but
  rendered in the course of his or her employment for a private employer.
f.  Work  or  service  not  rendered  as  a volunteer firefighter, but
  rendered as a civil defense volunteer.
g. Work, service or activities in which the volunteer firefighter  has
  been ordered not to participate.
This  subdivision  shall  not  be  deemed  to  enumerate  all  of  the
  activities engaged in by  volunteer  firefighters  for  which  mandatory
  coverage  is  not  provided  by  this chapter, or to prohibit any of the
  activities described in this subdivision, or to prevent the securing  of
  insurance  pursuant to section four thousand two hundred thirty-seven of
  the insurance law  to  cover  volunteer  firefighters  when  engaged  in
  activities  other than those for which mandatory coverage is provided by
  this chapter.