2023 New York Laws › VOL - Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit › Article 3 - Liability for Benefits; Insurance › 31 - The Insurance Contract.

§ 31. The  insurance  contract. 1. The provisions of subdivisions one,
  two, four, five  and  seven  of  section  fifty-four  of  the  workmen's
  compensation  law,  in relation to the insurance contract, which are not
  inconsistent with this chapter, shall be applicable as fully as  if  set
  forth herein. The insurance carrier shall be a party to all hearings and
  determinations  by  the  workmen's  compensation board or the courts and
  shall have the right to raise or plead  any  defense  available  to  the
  political  subdivision  liable in the first instance for the benefits to
  be paid and provided by this chapter.
2. An insurance contract to indemnify  against  liability  imposed  by
  this  chapter  originally issued to take effect on or after March first,
  nineteen hundred sixty-two, and any renewal  thereof,  (1)  shall  be  a
  separate  and  distinct  contract,  (2)  shall  not  be  attached  as an
  endorsement or rider to, or in any other way form a part of, a workmen's
  compensation insurance contract, (3) shall not have attached thereto any
  endorsement  or  rider  covering  any  liability  under  the   workmen's
  compensation  law  and  (4)  shall not be on a contract form used by the
  insurance  carrier  for  the  purpose  of  insuring  employers   against
  liabilities imposed by the workmen's compensation law, or is attached to
  any such form as an endorsement or rider.
3.  An  insurance  contract  to indemnify against liability imposed by
  this chapter originally issued to take  effect  prior  to  March  first,
  nineteen  hundred  sixty-two, shall not be renewed to continue in effect
  on or after March first, nineteen hundred  sixty-three,  if  (1)  it  is
  attached as an endorsement or rider to, or in any other way forms a part
  of,  a  workmen's  compensation  insurance contract, (2) it has attached
  thereto any endorsement or rider covering liability under the  workmen's
  compensation  law  or (3) it is on a contract form used by the insurance
  carrier for  the  purpose  of  insuring  employers  against  liabilities
  imposed  by  the  workmen's compensation law, or is attached to any such
  form as an endorsement or rider.
A contract of insurance indemnifying against the liability imposed  by
  this chapter issued by an insurance carrier to a county or a town and in
  force  on  or  after  the first day of July, nineteen hundred sixty-one,
  shall contain a provision reading as follows: "This  contract  does  not
  provide  (1)  any  coverage  under  the Workers' Compensation Law or the
  Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit Law for which any fire district would be
  liable under such laws, (2) any workers' compensation benefits for  fire
  district  officers  and  employees  for which any fire district would be
  liable under  the  Workers'  Compensation  Law,  or  (3)  any  volunteer
  firefighters' benefits for any volunteer firefighters for which any fire
  district  would be liable under the Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit Law.
  The  foregoing  provision  does  not  apply  in  relation  to  volunteer
  firefighters'  benefit  coverage  and  volunteer  firefighters' benefits
  provided for and in relation to the following named fire districts which
  have expressly requested coverage under this contract  pursuant  to  the
  provisions  of section thirty-two of the Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit
  Law, to wit: (If there are no exceptions, enter  'No  exceptions').  The
  term  'fire  districts', as used in this provision, does not include the
  fire protection districts and fire alarm districts mentioned in sections
  one hundred eighty-three and one hundred eighty-four of the Town Law."