As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) "Board" means the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund.

(2) "Fire department" means a full-time fire department or volunteer fire department which satisfies the following criteria:

(A) The fire department is certified by the superintendent of the Georgia Fire Academy as provided in Chapter 3 of Title 25;

(B) The public fire suppression facilities of the fire department are ratable not less favorably than a class eight rating under standards set forth in the Fire Suppression Rating Schedule, Section I, Public Fire Suppression, Edition 6-80, Copyright 1980, published by the Insurance Services Office, a rating organization licensed by the Commissioner of Insurance, which schedule is maintained on file with the Commissioner of Insurance as required by general law and which has not been disapproved by the Commissioner, or less than a rating which the board by regulation determines is substantially equivalent under rating standards published by a rating organization licensed by the Commissioner of Insurance performing similar rating functions which standards are maintained on file with the Commissioner of Insurance and which have not been disapproved by the Commissioner.

The board may require annual certification by the chief of a fire department of the satisfaction of such requirements as a condition to the eligibility of firefighters and volunteer firefighters to become members of the fund to obtain creditable service with the fund.

(3) "Firefighter" means a person who is a full-time employee of a fire department who in the course of full-time employment by and within a department either:

(A) Is a candidate for or holds a current firefighter's certificate issued under Article 1 of Chapter 4 of Title 25 and has as incident to his or her position of employment the principal duty of, and actually performs the function of, preventing and suppressing fires; or

(B) Has as incident to the position of employment the principal responsibility to perform, and actually performs, support functions for fire prevention and fire suppression activities of the fire department of a type which the board by regulation finds have been traditionally and customarily performed by employees of fire departments in the State of Georgia, including, without limitation, the activities of administrative personnel within the department, mechanics whose primary duties are the maintenance and repair of fire-fighting equipment and apparatus, operating engineers whose primary duties are the operation of fire-fighting equipment and apparatus, communications and clerical personnel, and fire prevention and fire inspection personnel; provided, however, that such term shall not include persons whose primary responsibility is the performance of emergency medical services. (4) "Full-time fire department" means a full-time department, bureau, division, or other organizational unit, separately organized and administered as such, of this state or any municipality or other political subdivision thereof, which organizational unit:

(A) Has, as an organizational unit, the principal responsibility to prevent and suppress fires; and

(B) Is financed by public appropriation or subscription and is not privately owned.

A full-time fire department includes the fire chief or chief operating officer of the organizational unit and only those employees who are under the direction and supervision of the fire chief or chief operating officer.

(5) "Fund" means the Georgia Firefighters' Pension Fund.

(6) "Volunteer fire department" means a volunteer fire department staffed by firefighters, volunteer firefighters, or a combination of firefighters and volunteer firefighters, separately organized and administered as such, of this state or any municipality or other political subdivision of this state or serving any fire district therein, which:

(A) Has the principal responsibility to prevent and suppress fires;

(B) Is financed by public appropriation or subscription and is not privately owned;

(C) Holds drills and meetings of not less than eight hours monthly; and

(D) Meets the requirements imposed by Code Section 47-7-81.

(7) "Volunteer firefighter" means an individual who is appointed and regularly enrolled as a volunteer with a fire department; who, as a volunteer firefighter, has and primarily performs the principal responsibility of preventing or suppressing fires; and who satisfies the requirements specified in subparagraph (a)(1)(D) of Code Section 25-3-23.