TRUST FUND ESTABLISHMENT
The Ohio State Firefighters' Association
has established a legal defense trust fund for the purpose
of paying the expenses for the legal defense of a firefighter
who is a member in good standing of the trust fund that
has been arrested, for which a summons has been issued,
and charged with vehicle homicide regardless of the degree.
The Trust Fund is administered by a board
of five trustees, four of which shall be elected by the
executive board of the Ohio State Firefighters' Association.
The fifth trustee shall be the secretary/treasurer of the
OSFA; an ex-officio member, and will be identified as the
trust fund Comptroller. The terms of the elected officials
shall be for a period of four years after the initial terms
expire and they will be voted into office at the October
meeting of the executive board.
The trust fund has been created by contributions
for the fire departments and individual firefighters, and
is in excess of the $286,000.00 authorized for the implementation
and activation of the plan for the protections of its members.
The trustees will meet annually at the annual
conference of the Ohio State Firefighters' Association to
conduct any business pertaining to the Trust Fund including
the annual audit. Expenses for the trustees will be paid
form the trust fund in accordance with the guidelines established
for the Ohio State Firefighters' Association.
COVERAGE
The fund will pay all reasonable legal expenses
involved in the defense of a member firefighter for a violation
of the Ohio Revised code when the charge is vehicular homicide,
regardless of the degree. Authorization for payment shall
be made by the trustees at a regular or special meeting
called for such purpose. The firefighter must meet membership
requirements and be operating a vehicle in duty status at
the time of the alleged offense. Coverage of individuals
will be determined by the names listed on and kept current
by the department, company or unit roster filed with the
Comptroller of the trust fund. After initial payment to
the fund, names may be substituted on said roster, however,
if members added to the roster, thereby increasing the total
number on the roster, additional membership fees must be
paid.
If a member is active on more than one department,
unit, or company, and is involved in an accident, he shall
be covered by the fund, even if the department he is with
at the time of the occurrence is not a member of the trust
fund.
FUNDING
The Trust Fund has been accumulated by payment
into the fund, the sum of $7.00 for each individual member
of a department, company or unit, or by the payment of such
amount by a firefighter who is an individual member of the
association. The fund, presently in excess of $286,000.00
is currently invested and managed by the trustees. As membership
increases, so will the principle of the trust fund. It is
expected and projected that the interest earned on the principle
will pay all necessary expenses for the defense of members
and minimal expenses for the administration of the fund.
MEMBERSHIP
For the purpose of coverage of a firefighter
by the fund, he must be a member of a legally organized
fire department or rescue unit. Such department or rescue
unit may be one organized and maintained by a political
sub-division or a private volunteer fire department or company.
Such department, unit or company must be a member in good
standing of the Ohio State Firefighters' Association as
determined and defined by the association rules and regulations.
Failure of the department, company or unit to maintain current
membership in the association will suspend and void all
rights to the coverage benefits of the trust fund while
under suspension. Coverage under the fund may be reinstated
upon application to the trustees of the fund, by the department,
and upon payment by the company or unit of all delinquent
dues and assessments. Firefighters whose department, company
or unit are not members of the OSFA may become a member
of the Legal Defense Trust Fund by joining OSFA as an individual
member, therefore becoming eligible to join the Legal Defense
Trust Fund as an individual member.
In the event of an extraordinary demand
upon the fund, which would require invasion of the principle
of the trust fund, a pro-rata assessment may be made to
replace the amount drawn form the principle.
All monies paid into the fund shall become
the property of the Legal Defense Trust Fund and are not
refundable.
Individual firefighters who are involved in
an accident and are cited should, upon receipt of the citation,
notify one of the following, by the most expeditious method
of communication available:
