Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 513 - RULES OF PUBLIC RETIREMENT SYSTEMS › Chapter 513-7 - GEORGIA FIREMAN'S PENSION FUND › Subject 513-7-1 - ADMINISTRATIVE RULES › Rule 513-7-1-.08 - Volunteer and Part-Time Firefighter Requirements and Affidavits

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1) A volunteer fire department shall have an
				active volunteer program as outlined in (a), (b) and (c) below in order for its
				members to be eligible to earn pension credit. Volunteer firefighters shall
				meet a minimum standard of 50% of the aggregate of creditable department drills
				or meetings and creditable calls for the calendar year using a point based
				system. One point shall be earned for each eligible call, and one point for
				each completed hour of designated department drills or meetings held as a
				group.
(a) A volunteer fire department shall
				hold at least 8 hours of drills or meetings per month for 10 months (or more)
				in a calendar year. If the department fails to hold the required hours of
				drills and meetings, no member of the department shall be able to earn
				creditable service for that year.
(b) Creditable department drills or meetings
				shall take place as a group, at the department level. If a department has
				multiple stations, drills and meetings as a group at the station level may
				count as department drills and meetings. There shall be no subgroups within a
				station for the purpose of calculating annual department drills and meetings
				for Pension Fund credit. Of regular department drills, and meetings offered
				annually, each member of the department shall attend a minimum of 25%, In
				addition, creditable service shall not be earned if the member attended less
				than 24 hours of department drills and meetings for the year. Drills and
				meetings must be documented on forms that contain the following;
(i) Date of training/event
(ii) Actual beginning and actual end
				times
(iii) Location
(iv) Brief description of
				training/activity
(c)
				Creditable calls are calls specific to the department being called. If a
				department has multiple stations, the calls may be specific to the station.
				Fire calls shall be counted towards pension credit. A fire call is defined as
				fires on property subject to insurance coverage under O.C.G.A.
				 47-7-61, including, but not limited to structures, vehicles, boats, planes and
				motorcycles. Structures include commercial and residential properties, whether
				occupied or not. In addition to fire calls, it shall be predetermined annually
				by the chief, if, and what other types of calls are also counted as creditable.
				This may include but is not limited to motor vehicle accidents, and vegetation,
				crop, and open land fires. Awarding of, or denying of credit for a particular
				type call shall be consistent throughout the year. Members shall meet a minimum
				of 25% of creditable calls annually. In the event the 25% calculation does not
				result in a whole number, the calculation may be rounded down to the nearest
				whole number. Firefighters from departments with one or more creditable calls,
				cannot earn creditable service if no calls were attended.