(1) who was recognized prior to the first day of January, two thousand eleven, as a volunteer member of any fire company of a city subject to the provisions of this section by the governing board or board of fire commissioners of the city or by the officers and members of his fire company, and

(2) who rendered active service with such fire company between such dates, and

(3) who was, at the time of his or her election to membership, a resident of the city or of territory outside the city which was afforded fire protection by the fire department of the city, or any fire company thereof, pursuant to a contract for fire protection, or who was a non-resident who was elected to membership or who was continued as a member, pursuant to the provisions of subdivision five or six of this section, shall for all purposes in law be considered to have been duly elected and approved, or continued, as a member in such fire company as of the date of such approval, if any, and, if none, then as of the date of such election or, in the case of a continuance, as of the date of the approval, if any, by the board of fire commissioners or the governing board, and, if none, as of the date of authorization of continuance by the fire company; notwithstanding that there may have been some legal defect in such election, or the proceedings precedent thereto, or a failure of the board of fire commissioners or governing board to approve such member, or approve the continuance of membership of such member, as provided by the law in force at the time of such election, or continuance, and the status of such person as a volunteer firefighter as of such date is hereby legalized, validated and confirmed. This subdivision shall not apply to a person, if any, whose volunteer membership in a fire company was disapproved by the board of fire commissioners or declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction prior to the first day of January, two thousand eleven. 14. (a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any volunteer fire department or fire company, through any member or members thereof, officers, board of fire commissioners or other body or office having power of appointment of volunteer firefighters in any fire department or fire company pursuant to this section, because of the race, creed, color, national origin, sex or marital status of any individual, to exclude or to expel from its volunteer membership such individual, or to discriminate against any of its members because of the race, creed, color, national origin, sex or marital status of such volunteer members.

(b) Any person claiming to be aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice pursuant to this section may by himself or his attorney at law make, sign and file with the state division of human rights, a verified complaint which shall set forth the particulars of the alleged unlawful discriminatory practice and contain such other information as the division of human rights may require. The division shall thereupon cause to be made an investigation and disposition of the charges pursuant to the provisions of article fifteen of the executive law.