For a fire company to be eligible to participate in VFCA, certain requirements must be met. To verify the requirements, the following documents must be sent to MPERA:

• The fire company’s name and mailing address;
• The name of the fire chief and designated official, if any;
• A copy of the meeting minutes from the County Commissioners or governing board establishing the fire district and/or fire service area. If the meeting minutes are unavailable, a copy of the first filing with the county clerk of the county in which they are located.
• Identification of the portion of the fire district area serviced by the company;
• Written documentation that the area serviced is located in an unincorporated area; and
• Documentation that the fire company maintains firefighting equipment that is in serviceable condition and owns, rents, or uses one or more buildings for the storage of the equipment. The equipment and buildings must be valued at $12,000 or more.

Each year, the chief or designated official of each fire company must file an annual certificate of membership and fire company eligibility with MPERA. The certificate is a turnaround document prepared by MPERA and mailed at the end of June to all eligible fire companies on file. Each fire company’s chief or designated official must complete and verify the birth date, social security number, entry date, and training received for each member on the certificate. Only members that received at least 30 hours of training in firefighting duties and served for the entire fiscal year with a single fire company are eligible for credit.

The original certificate must be notarized and returned to MPERA by September 1. Certificates will be kept on file at MPERA to verify a member’s service and eligibility for benefits. The annual certificate must supply the following information:

The chief’s or designated officer’s signature, which confirms:

• Date the fire company was organized;
• Name of the company; and
• List of officers and roll of active and inactive members.

Fire companies are encouraged to carry supplemental insurance to provide benefits to members who are injured or die in the line of duty. To help pay the cost of supplemental insurance, the trust fund will pay $75 to the fire company (or the organization maintaining the supplemental insurance for the fire company) for each unit of motorized mobile firefighting equipment, not to exceed $150 per year.

Each November, MPERA will send the Supplemental Group Insurance Payments Application form to active qualified fire companies (see Eligibility tab). The application must be returned to MPERA by December 31 of each year and include the following information:

• The number of mobile units;
• Proof of supplemental insurance;
• Tax identification number of fire company; and
• A current fiscal year roster of all members, filed by the chief or designated official with MPERA on or before September 1.

Training must include matters pertaining to firefighting and be available for all members. The course or plan of instruction for this training program must include at least 30 hours of instruction per year per member.

NOTE: Recognized training does not include fire hall and vehicle maintenance, or emergency calls or business meetings to conduct the business of the fire company.

Late or amended annual certificates must be filed within 3 years of the original annual certificate due date and may be amended only once. Late or amended certificates must include the following information: a letter to the Board from the fire chief explaining why the annual certificate was not filed timely; the original, notarized annual certificate; and certified training
documents.

• Late filed training information must include:
• Date of training
• Hours of training
• Title of training
• Certification of training record from fire chief
• Who attended
• Complete description of training