[Adopted 10-28-2003 by Ord. No. 512[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Art. VI, Abatement for Members of Volunteer Fire Departments, adopted 10-28-2003 by Ord. No. 512.
The Town Council hereby reaffirms and restates its purpose when the original version of this article was adopted on November 14, 2000, to wit: as an incentive to encourage those serving as volunteer fire fighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics or ambulance drivers to continue their volunteer service and to encourage others to join one of Wallingford's volunteer fire departments. The Town Council, however, because of a ruling by the United States Internal Revenue Service that because the volunteers are providing a service to the Town of Wallingford they are deemed to be employees and subject, therefore, to all payroll taxes, is required to amend the ordinance to mandate that the amount of the tax abatement available to individual volunteers be paid in dollars and that such payment be made subject to state and federal income taxes and FICA and Medicare taxes.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ABATEMENT
The payment in dollars which is the equivalent of the reduction in property taxes owed by the volunteer under the provisions of this article; subject, however, to state and federal income taxes and Medicare and FICA taxes.
ASSESSMENT YEAR
October 1 to September 30.
CERTIFICATION DATE
December 15, 2000, for the assessment year/fiscal year commencing October 1, 1999, and March 1, 2001, for the assessment year/fiscal year commencing October 1, 2000, and March 1 for each assessment year/fiscal year thereafter.
FIRE CHIEF
The Chief of the Fire Department, consisting of the regular and volunteer divisions.
FISCAL YEAR
The same as "assessment year."
PROGRAM YEAR
The calendar year from January 1 to December 31.
VOLUNTEER
An individual who volunteers his or her services as a fire fighter for the Yalesville Volunteer Fire Department (YVFD), the North Farms Volunteer Fire Department, (NFVFD), the East Wallingford Volunteer Fire Department (EWVFD), or as an emergency medical technician, paramedic or ambulance driver for any of said volunteer fire departments. The members of any volunteer fire department created after the effective date of this article shall be added by amendment with coverage effective as of the date said volunteer fire department is certified as fully operational by the Fire Chief. Volunteer includes members volunteering in Wallingford and living outside of the Town who otherwise qualify for the abatement.
[Amended 1-21-2020 by Ord. No. 634]
[Amended 1-21-2020 by Ord. No. 634]
Each volunteer shall be entitled to an abatement measured by the property taxes, real and personal, otherwise due from the volunteer on property owned by or held in trust for the volunteer, for the assessment year/fiscal year next preceding the certification date in accordance with the following schedule:
For 2020 and 2021:
Years of Service
Abatement
1-4
$500
5-6
$750
7-9
$1,000
10 or more
$1,500
For 2022 and thereafter:
Years of Service
Abatement
1-4
$750
5-6
$1,000
7-9
$1,250
10 or more
$2,000
Except that the years of service shall not begin to be credited unless and until the volunteer has qualified for the Town of Wallingford Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP), for the next preceding calendar year.
Beginning with January 1, 1992, the date at which LOSAP became effective, a volunteer whose service is interrupted shall, upon his or her resumption of service, have any prior years restored; provided, however, that the volunteer qualified for LOSAP credit for such years, but not unless and until the volunteer has also qualified for LOSAP credit for the next preceding calendar year, except that any volunteer who enters the armed forces of the United States of America in time of war, national emergency or pursuant to a national conscription law or draft, and was separated from active duty under conditions other than a dishonorable discharge, and returns to said service within three months of the date of separation shall receive years of service credit for the volunteer's period of active duty not to exceed three years.
A. 
The respective Chiefs of the YVFD, the NFVFD and the EWVFD shall, on or before the certification date, submit the original list of their members who are eligible for the abatement to the Fire Chief for verification, who would then forward said original lists to the Comptroller with copies forwarded to the Mayor and the Chairman of the Town Council. The list shall include the member's mailing address and the amount of the abatement.
B. 
The Chiefs of the YVFD, the NFVFD and the EWVFD shall also submit a certificate, the form to be agreed upon by the Fire Chief and the Comptroller, to each individual member specifying the amount of the abatement due the volunteer. Upon presentment to the Comptroller, the amount of the abatement shall be paid to the volunteer.
A. 
Each eligible volunteer must earn at least 100 points during any program year by participating in the activities set forth in § 203-19 in order to qualify for the abatement for any assessment year/fiscal year.
[Amended 1-21-2020 by Ord. No. 634]
B. 
Points will be earned by the volunteers in accordance with the point system outlined in § 203-19. The determination with respect to a volunteer's performance of his or her duties and entitlement to points shall be a mathematical calculation based upon attendance and performance as established by the records of each volunteer fire department. Each volunteer fire department shall maintain accurate written records of its members' attendance and participation in and performance of their duties upon which the determination of the number of points earned by said members in each program year shall be based. Points earned in any program year shall be fully transferable between the volunteer fire companies.
C. 
Volunteers shall not be entitled to any abatement for any program year in which he or she has not been credited with the requisite number of points set forth in § 203-19. Points earned in one program year cannot be carried forward or backward in any other program year.
D. 
The Fire Chief may periodically revise the determination of activity standards or points as outlined in § 203-19.
The activities that follow establish the point system under which volunteers must qualify in order to satisfy the entitlement to the abatement provided by this article. Where a percentage requirement is used, the computation will be based upon the particular volunteer fire department's number of activities in that category.
A. 
Training.
(1) 
Total points allowed: 40.
(2) 
Points will be awarded as follows:
(a) 
Two points for attending any scheduled departmental training event.
(b) 
One point for every eight hours of training attended out-of-house, the completion of which is evidenced by a certificate of completion or similar document. Out-of-house training includes, but is not limited to, any state or federal classes or any college-level courses that are related to fire department functions.
B. 
Alarms.
(1) 
Total points allowed: 50.
(2) 
Points will be awarded as follows: one point for every 1% of alarms (calls) that the individual responds to, except that no points will be awarded if the individual's response total is less than 10% of the total number of alarms.
C. 
Meetings.
(1) 
Total points required: 10; allowed: 16.
(2) 
Points will be awarded as follows:
(a) 
Ten points for attending 50% of the individual volunteer fire department's scheduled business meetings.
(b) 
One point for each additional business meeting over the minimum of 50%.
D. 
Extra incentives.
(1) 
Points will be awarded for holding an elective office within the Department as follows:
Elective Office
Number of Points
Chief
10
Assistant Chief
8
Captain
6
Lieutenant
4
Engineer
4
Treasurer
2
Secretary
2
(2) 
Three points will be awarded each year for holding a valid State of Connecticut Fire Service Administration certification in each of the following (cumulative):
Firefighter I, II or III
Fire Instructor I, II
Fire Officer I, II
Safety Officer
Hazardous Material Technician
Pump Operator
Public Educator I, II
(3) 
The following specified points will be awarded each year for holding a valid State of Connecticut Fire Service Administration certification in each of the following (cumulative):
(a) 
One point for Medical Response Technician.
(b) 
Three points for Emergency Medical Technician.
(4) 
One point will be awarded for every meeting, other than scheduled business meetings, sanctioned by the volunteer fire department, including fire department committee meetings, officer meetings, chiefs meetings, intervolunteer fire department meetings, state committee meetings and any other sanctioned meetings.