35-9-616. Definitions.

(a) As used in this article:

(i) "Account" or "pension account" means the volunteer firefighter, EMT and search and rescue pension account created pursuant to W.S. 35-9-617(a);

(ii) "Board" means the volunteer firefighter, EMT and search and rescue pension account board created pursuant to W.S. 35-9-623(a);

(iii) "Children" means all natural children and adopted children of the participating member, born or conceived at the time of his death or retirement;

(iv) "Eligible retirement plan" means as defined in W.S. 9-3-402(a)(xxvii);

(v) "Participating member" means any volunteer firefighter, volunteer EMT or volunteer search and rescue person for whom payments are received by the volunteer firefighter, EMT and search and rescue pension account as prescribed in W.S. 35-9-621(e);

(vi) "Rollover contribution" means as defined in W.S. 9-3-402(a)(xxviii);

(vii) "Spouse" means the lawful spouse of a participating member who was married to the volunteer firefighter, volunteer EMT or volunteer search and rescue person at the time of the volunteer's entry into the account, or who although married after the date of entry, is recognized as the spouse covered by the benefits of the account as a result of special action of the board;

(viii) "Volunteer emergency medical technician" or "EMT" means as defined by W.S. 33-36-102(a)(x), and a person who performs EMT services as an attendant with a state licensed ambulance service and who devotes less than his entire time of employment to, but is carried on the rolls of, a regularly constituted Wyoming ambulance service, the members of which may be partly paid and partly volunteer. Persons performing EMT services for an industrial ambulance service as defined in W.S. 33-36-102(a)(vi) or a privately owned, for profit ambulance service shall not be considered a volunteer emergency medical technician or EMT. Payment of compensation for services actually rendered by enrolled volunteers does not take them out of this classification. Any individual who volunteers assistance but is not regularly enrolled as an EMT is not a volunteer within the meaning of this chapter;

(ix) A "volunteer fire department" means any duly constituted and organized firefighting unit:

(A) Recognized by the appropriate local government with jurisdiction of the area the unit services and which provides fire protection services to the community as a whole pursuant to a contract or agreement with, or as sponsored by, a governmental entity;

(B) Operating under duly adopted bylaws;

(C) All or a portion of the members of which are volunteers;

(D) Holding monthly meetings to conduct business and training; and

(E) The membership of which is not comprised exclusively of employees of a sponsoring nongovernmental entity.

(x) "Volunteer firefighter" or "firefighter" means any individual who may or may not receive compensation for services rendered as a volunteer firefighter and who:

(A) Is carried on the regular rolls of, but devotes less than his entire time of employment to, activities of a volunteer fire department, all or a portion of the members of which are volunteer; and

(B) During the course of any one (1) year, attends not less than fifty percent (50%) of the monthly volunteer fire department meetings.

(xi) Repealed by Laws 2019, ch. 83, § 2.

(xii) "County search and rescue organization" means a search and rescue operation acting under the coordination of a county sheriff pursuant to W.S. 18-3-609(a)(iii) that:

(A) Has adopted and filed bylaws with the county clerk for the county in which the organization is located; and

(B) Holds 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.

(xiii) "Volunteer search and rescue person" or "search and rescue person" means any individual who:

(A) Is engaged in search and rescue operations with a county search and rescue organization;

(B) Is carried on the regular rolls of, but devotes less than the individual's entire time of employment to, activities of a county search and rescue organization; and

(C) May or may not receive compensation for services rendered as a member of a county search and rescue organization.