Virginia Law

Repealed by Acts 1950, p. 316.

Any county, city or town which operates fire-fighting equipment may provide for the relief of (1) any children and surviving spouse of any fire fighter who dies (2) and on or before July 1, 1977, shall provide for the relief of any fire fighter who is disabled by injury or illness as the direct or proximate result of the performance of his duty, including the presumption under § 27-40.1, in the service of the county, city or town or any political subdivision with which it contracts or has contracted for fire protection, whether such fire fighter be a member of a fire company of the county in which the injury occurred or of a political subdivision with which it contracts for fire protection. Such total disability retirement benefits shall be not less than those provided under the in-line-of-duty disability retirement provisions of § 51.1-157. Such relief of any children and surviving spouse of any fire fighter who dies shall be exclusive of, and not dependent upon, any payment under the Line of Duty Act (§ 9.1-400 et seq.).

1946, p. 609; Michie Suppl. 1946, § 2743m; 1948, p. 161; 1970, c. 187; 1973, c. 543; 1976, c. 772; 1977, c. 326.

The governing bodies of cities of the first class may, by ordinance adopted by a recorded vote of a majority of the members elected to each branch, if there be more than one branch, appropriate money out of the public funds to aid in the support of dependent children of members of the fire departments of such cities who may have lost their lives through injuries received or illness incurred while in the performance of their duties as members of such fire departments; such aid to continue in the case of each such child until he or she shall have attained the age of sixteen years, and the payment of same to be made monthly to the lawful guardian of such dependent children and in such amounts as the governing body of such city may deem wise and just.

1918, p. 224; Michie Code 1942, § 3035a.

The death of, or any condition or impairment of health of salaried or volunteer fire fighters caused by respiratory diseases, hypertension or heart disease resulting in total or partial disability shall be presumed to have been suffered in the line of duty unless the contrary be shown by a preponderance of competent evidence; provided that prior to making any claim based upon such presumption for retirement, sickness or other benefits on account of such death or total or partial disability, such salaried or volunteer fire fighters shall have been found free from respiratory diseases, hypertension or heart disease, as the case may be, by a physical examination which shall include such appropriate laboratory and other diagnostic studies as such governing body shall prescribe and which shall have been conducted by physicians whose qualifications shall have been prescribed by such governing body; and provided, further, that any such fire fighter or, in the case of his death, any person entitled to make a claim for such benefits, claiming that his death or disability was suffered in the line of duty shall, if requested by such governing body or its authorized representative, submit himself, in the case of claim for disability benefits, to physical examination by any physician designated by such governing body, which examination may include such tests or studies as may reasonably be prescribed by the physician so designated or, in the case of a claim for death benefits, submit the body of the deceased fire fighter to a postmortem examination to be performed by the medical examiner for the county, city or town appointed under § 32.1-282. Such fire fighter or claimant shall have the right to have present at such examination, at his own expense, any qualified physician he may designate.

1964, c. 216; 1972, c. 607; 1973, c. 543; 1976, c. 772; 1977, c. 326; 1978, c. 768.

Any county, city or town providing death, retirement, sickness or other benefits pursuant to the authority granted by § 27-39, or pursuant to any other provision of law or the charter of any city or town, or otherwise, shall do so exclusive of, and without regard to, any such benefits paid or payable out of the general fund of the state treasury pursuant to § 9.1-400 et seq. and shall by ordinance make provision for the employment of physicians and the performance of the physical examination required by § 27-40.1 and shall cause such examination to be made within ninety days after June 1, 1973, of every fire fighter in its service or the service of a political subdivision with which it has contracted for fire protection and of every fire fighter entering upon such service thereafter at the time of such entry, provided however, that any fire fighter employed by any such county, city or town which failed to cause such physical examination to be made on or before January 1, 1976, for any fire fighter employed prior to January 1, 1976, in its service or the service of a political subdivision with which it has contracted for fire protection shall be presumed to have been found free from respiratory disease, hypertension or heart disease as if such fire fighter had been examined pursuant to § 27-40.1. Such presumption shall also apply to the benefit of any fire fighter entering upon such service on or after January 1, 1976, unless said county, city or town shall cause such examination to be made of such fire fighter within ninety days after July 1, 1976. Every fire fighter entering upon such service on or after October 1, 1976, and thereafter, shall be entitled to the benefit of such presumption unless such county, city or town shall cause such examination to be made of such fire fighter at the time of such entry.

1973, c. 543; 1976, c. 772; 1977, c. 326.

Such presumption, subject to the provisions of § 27-40.1, shall be employed in determining eligibility for death, retirement, sickness and other benefits provided pursuant to the authority granted by §§ 27-39, 27-40, or pursuant to any other provision of law or the charter of any city or town, or otherwise for persons who die or become totally or partially disabled; provided, however, that such presumption shall be used to determine eligibility for death benefits for all fire fighters employed by the City of Portsmouth when death occurs subsequent to July 1, 1972.

1964, c. 216; 1972, c. 607; 1973, c. 543; 1974, c. 579; 1977, c. 326.

For the purposes of this article the term "volunteer fire fighters" shall be defined as in § 27-42.

1972, c. 607; 1977, c. 326.

If any person is entitled to and receives pensions and benefits under this article and subsequently becomes employed, whether full-time or part-time, the pensions and benefits received shall be reduced by the amount of income received which exceeds the difference between the benefits received under this article and the amount of pay to which he would have been entitled had his employment progressed in the same rank and grade with credit for the level of seniority he would have attained had he not been disabled. Such a reduction in benefits shall continue until the time he becomes eligible for normal retirement, had he remained uninjured and continued his employment. For the purposes of this section, "income" means gross income received less deductions for social security taxes only.

Any person receiving pensions or benefits under the provisions of this article shall upon request, on or before May 1 of each year, provide a true and correct copy of all W-2 forms showing income received, or a statement under oath as to whether he has received compensation for work performed in the previous calendar year, to the governing body of the jurisdiction which is the source of the pension, or to that body's designee. Refusal to provide such documents shall be grounds for termination of benefits under this section, until such documents are produced. Production of the documents shall be required only until such time as the person shall be eligible for normal retirement, had he remained uninjured and continued his employment.

Nothing contained herein shall limit or restrict the right of any person to receive workers' compensation benefits under Title 65.2, as amended.

1983, c. 351.

Financial relief shall be extended by the counties, cities and towns of Virginia to volunteer fire fighters who are killed or injured while engaged in fighting fire or while responding to an alarm or returning from the scene of a fire, such relief to be paid in amounts and manner as hereinafter set forth.

1928, p. 1002; Michie Code 1942, § 3144a; 1970, c. 187; 1977, c. 326.

For the purposes of this article, the term "volunteer fire fighters" shall include only members of any organized fire-fighting company which has in its possession and operates fire-fighting apparatus and equipment, whose members serve without pay and whose names are maintained on a list kept by the secretary of such company. It shall be the responsibility of the secretary of such company or the secretary's designee to (i) file the list with the office of the clerk of the circuit court where such company is located, (ii) keep the list of such members up to date, and (iii) file the updated list with the clerk in a timely manner. The clerk shall not be responsible to obtain the list or an updated list from the secretary of the fire-fighting company if the list is not filed with the clerk.

1928, p. 1002; Michie Code 1942, § 3144b; 1977, c. 326; 2012, c. 802; 2014, c. 291.

Should any volunteer fire fighter be killed while actually engaged in fighting fire, or while going to a fire in answer to an alarm or returning therefrom, the governing body of the county, city or town in which his company is located shall pay to his personal representative, for the benefit of his estate, the sum of $1,000.

1928, p. 1002; Michie Code 1942, § 3144c; 1970, c. 187; 1977, c. 326.

Should any volunteer fire fighter be injured under circumstances set forth in § 27-43, so as to be totally and permanently disabled from making a livelihood, he shall be paid in like manner the sum of twenty-five dollars per week for forty weeks.

1928, p. 1002; Michie Code 1942, § 3144d; 1977, c. 326.

Should a volunteer fire fighter be injured under circumstances set forth in § 27-43, so as to be prevented from attending to his usual occupation for a period greater than two weeks, but not permanently and totally disabled, he shall be paid in like manner the sum of twenty-five dollars per week until able to return to his usual occupation, provided, that the payments shall not continue in any event for a period greater than ten weeks.

1928, p. 1002; Michie Code 1942, § 3144e; 1977, c. 326.

In addition to the relief set forth in §§ 27-43 through 27-45, all necessary hospital charges and all necessary and proper medical, surgical, laboratory and operating room charges for any volunteer fire fighter arising out of any injury set forth in such sections shall be paid by such county, city or town.

1928, p. 1003; Michie Code 1942, § 3144f; 1970, c. 187; 1977, c. 326.

All funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this article shall be raised in the case of a city by a general levy on all property therein subject to taxation for local purposes; and in the case of a county one-half thereof shall be raised by a general levy throughout the county and one-half by the levy within the town or magisterial district in which the fire company is located on all property therein subject to taxation for local purpose.

1928, p. 1003; Michie Code 1942, § 3144g.

Any disputed question of fact arising under the operation of this article shall be triable before the governing body of such county or city having jurisdiction of the company involved, and from the decision of such governing body the petitioner and the county or city, as the case may be, shall have an appeal of right to the circuit court of the county or the corporation court of the city. Such appeal on behalf of the county or city shall be taken by the attorney for the Commonwealth or the corporation counsel who shall prosecute the same in the trial court.

1928, p. 1003; Michie Code 1942, § 3144h.

This article shall not be construed to repeal any special act now in force in any county or city for the relief of volunteer fire fighters or to limit the enactment of further special and local laws for such purpose.

1928, p. 1003; Michie Code 1942, § 3144i; 1977, c. 326.

This article shall not become effective in any county, city or town until the governing body thereof shall adopt and approve the same by resolution duly passed and spread on its minutes.

1928, p. 1003; Michie Code 1942, § 3144j.