§ 11-221. Definitions.

Benefit commencement date means the first day of the month coincident with or next following a participant's attainment of his or her normal retirement age, or, if earlier, the first day of the month following the participant's death or disability.

Board means the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners.

County means Monroe County, Florida.

Disability means a disability which entitles an individual to disability benefits payable by Social Security.

Effective date means January 1, 1999.

Eligibility date means January 1 of each year.

Emergency medical services ("EMS") volunteer means any person whose name is carried on the active volunteer membership roll of a non-profit corporation, created to provide emergency medical services, that has contracted with the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners, or with a county fire department, or with an MSTU created by the board under F.S. § 125.01(1), to provide emergency medical services which has not elected out of participation in this plan.

Length of service awards program (LOSAP) or (plan) shall mean the length of service award plan as herein set forth, as it may be amended from time to time.

Normal retirement age means the date a participant attains age 60.

Participant means any volunteer firefighter or EMS volunteer who is covered by this plan as provided in section 11-223.

Plan administrator means the board or such other person or entity as shall be from time to time designated by the board to administer this plan.

Plan year means the 12-month period ending on December 31, 1999 and each 12-month period ending on December 31 thereafter.

Volunteer firefighter means:

(1)

Any person whose name is carried on the active volunteer membership roll of a nonprofit corporation, created for fire fighting purposes, that has contracted with the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners or a county fire department, or with a municipal service taxing or benefit unit ("MSTU") created by the board under F.S. § 125.01(1) to extinguish fires, to protect life, and to protect property which has not elected out of participation in this plan; or

(2)

Whose name is carried on the active volunteer membership roll of the Monroe County Fire Department or a fire control MSTU created by the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners under F.S. § 125.01(1).

Year of service means:

(1)

For purposes of the plan other than benefit accrual, each year of volunteer service for which the business records of the nonprofit corporation or MSTU created by the board, show, to the satisfaction of the county fire rescue coordinator, the participant:

a.

Was enrolled as a member of the nonprofit corporation or MSTU; and

b.

Was eligible for and received reimbursement of expenses for nine or more months of the year.

(2)

A participant will be credited with years of service for purposes of benefit accrual under the plan as follows:

a.

A year of service will be credited for each plan year in which a volunteer meets the requirements set forth in subsection (1)a. and b. above.

b.

Each year during the annual budget process, the board may consider crediting each participant with an additional year of service for service accrued prior to the effective date of the plan. The total number of years of service that may be credited for service accrued prior to the effective date of the plan shall not exceed the actual number of years of service actually earned by each participant prior to the effective date of the plan.

(3)

For all purposes of the plan, in the event that a non-vested participant fails to accrue a year of service during any three consecutive plan years, the participant shall incur a "break-in-service", and any years of service earned by the participant prior to the break in service, shall be disregarded for purposes of the plan. In addition, in the event that any participant ceases to be carried on an active membership roll as a volunteer firefighter or EMS volunteer and later returns to an active membership roll, only years of service earned after the participant's return to the active membership roll shall be counted for purposes of the plan.

(4)

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, no years of service shall be earned for any year of volunteer service after the participant has attained age 60.

( Ord. No. 026-1999, § 1 )