Definitions:
- The Plan: Volunteer Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, and Search & Rescue Pension Plan
- Volunteer Organization: A volunteer fire department or county search and rescue.
- Volunteer(s): Firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician, or Search and Rescue personnel.
Compliance:
In an ongoing effort to ensure that Volunteer Organizations participating in the Plan comply with Wyoming law and WRS regulatory requirements, ten (10) departments will be randomly chosen twice per calendar year for an audit.
Attendance Requirements
| Volunteer Fire: | State Statute[W.S. § 35-9-616 (a)(x)(B)]Requires that during the course of any one (1) year, attends not less than fifty percent (50%) of the monthly volunteer fire department meetings. |
| Search and Rescue: | State Statute [W.S. § 35-9-616 (a)(xii)(B)] requires agencies hold not less than two (2) meetings per month and requires each volunteer search and rescue person to attend not less than fifty percent (50%) of the total number of meetings held each month. |
Plan Eligibility Requirements:
WRS understands that each Volunteer Organization determines the make-up and schedule of its monthly meetings and attendance requirements for its Volunteers. To avoid confusion, WRS interprets the statutory requirements for participation in the Plan to be that a Volunteer Organization has at least one meeting per calendar month to conduct business or training and that Volunteers who elect to participate in the Plan must attend at least 50 percent of those monthly meetings.
Therefore, if a department holds one meeting per month, Volunteers must attend no less than six meetings in a calendar year. If a department schedules more than one meeting per month, Volunteers still need to attend one meeting per month for no less than six months in a calendar year to remain eligible for the Plan. Only one meeting per month shall count toward the attendance requirement.
Any Volunteer that does not meet the attendance requirement as herein interpreted will have his/her contributions for the calendar year returned and lose 12 months of service credit.
Therefore, if a department holds one meeting per month, Volunteers must attend no less than six meetings in a calendar year. If a department schedules more than one meeting per month, Volunteers still need to attend one meeting per month for no less than six months in a calendar year to remain eligible for the Plan. Only one meeting per month shall count toward the attendance requirement.
Any Volunteer that does not meet the attendance requirement as herein interpreted will have his/her contributions for the calendar year returned and lose 12 months of service credit.
