AVON, NY — In a special referendum being held at the East Avon firehouse on Tuesday, Dec. 22, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., voters in the Town of Avon outside the village will decide on the establishment of a pension fund for volunteer firefighters in the East Avon Fire District.
If the measure is approved, East Avon will become the second fire department in Livingston County offering pensions.
While pensions are a commonplace benefit for volunteer firefighters in Monroe County, Lakeville is the only Livingston County firefighting unit which currently has such a plan for its volunteers.
Andrew Chanler, whose Chanler Agency manages the plan for Lakeville, describes the benefit as a very modest retirement program.
According to Lakeville Fire Commissioner and firefighter Jerry Fazackerly, since the plan was established in his district three years ago, qualified volunteers have $480 paid annually into their fund by the district.
At the outset, veteran volunteers received the equivalent limit of five years of payments, no matter how far back their service dated.
Fazackerly pointed out that a firefighter becoming qualified for the program this year could, after 25 years service and at age 62, withdraw $825-to-$875 monthly, an amount which would nicely supplement his social security benefit. Alternately, the pensioner could withdraw his money as a lump sum.
In order to maintain membership in the program, firefighters must meet minimum annual requirements set forth in state law. He or she must give at least 50 hours of volunteer time every year, spread over five categories encompassing on-scene response and duty, training, work, exterior, and social details.
The requirements assure that the firefighter will be involved in various facets of his department’s activities. Persons, who because of age or infirmity are no longer able to serve as front line volunteers at fires, are nevertheless able to maintain their qualified standing by contributing peripheral service to their unit.
See complete story in our Dec. 3 print edition.
