A. Any volunteer fire fighter who is appointed as a paid fire fighter whose first service with a participating employer of the System occurs prior to November 1, 2013, and serves less than ten (10) years as a paid fire fighter, shall be entitled to receive one-twentieth (1/20) of a volunteer pension earned over twenty (20) years for each full year served as a volunteer fire fighter and one-twentieth of one-half (1/20 of 1/2) of the average salary received for each full year the fire fighter served as a paid fire fighter. Any volunteer fire fighter who is appointed as a paid fire fighter whose first service with a participating employer of the System occurs on or after November 1, 2013, and serves less than eleven (11) years as a paid fire fighter, shall be entitled to receive one-twenty-second (1/22) of a volunteer pension earned over twenty-two (22) years for each full year served as a volunteer fire fighter and one-twenty-second of fifty-five percent (1/22 of 55%) of the average salary received for each full year the fire fighter served as a paid fire fighter.

B. Any volunteer fire fighter who is appointed as a paid fire fighter after May 15, 1992, whose first service with a participating employer of the System occurs prior to November 1, 2013, and serves ten (10) or more years as a paid fire fighter, shall be entitled to credit no more than five (5) years of volunteer time to complete a twenty-year paid service pension with remaining volunteer time computed at one-twentieth (1/20) of a volunteer pension earned over twenty (20) years for each additional volunteer year. Any volunteer fire fighter who is appointed as a paid fire fighter before May 15, 1992, and serves ten (10) or more years as a paid fire fighter, shall be entitled to credit all of the fire fighter's volunteer time to complete a twenty-year paid service pension. Any volunteer fire fighter who is appointed as a paid fire fighter whose first service with a participating employer of the System occurs on or after November 1, 2013, and serves eleven (11) or more years as a paid fire fighter, shall be entitled to credit no more than five (5) years of volunteer time to complete a twenty-two-year paid service pension with remaining volunteer time computed at one-twenty-second (1/22) of a volunteer pension earned over twenty-two (22) years for each additional volunteer year.

C. For purposes of determining benefits pursuant to this section, total credited service for paid and volunteer service shall not exceed thirty (30) years; provided, the most recent years of service shall be used in determining total credited service for paid and volunteer service.

D. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to create an eligibility for pension which is not otherwise provided by law.

Added by Laws 1977, c. 256, § 49-108, eff. July 1, 1978. Amended by Laws 1980, c. 352, § 16, eff. Jan. 1, 1981; Laws 1992, c. 203, § 1, emerg. eff. May 15, 1992; Laws 2000, c. 327, § 10, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2013, c. 388, § 7, eff. Nov. 1, 2013.