Persons who are members of the fire department on the eighth day of January, 1932, shall become members of the Retirement System on the date, subject only to the following provisions, in addition to the provisions contained in Sections 3.670-3.672, 8.500-8.502, 8.510, 8.511, 8.520, and 8.560 of this Charter.
(a) Any member of the fire department who shall have completed 25 years of continuous service as a member of the fire department next preceding the date of his retirement, or any member of the fire department who shall have reached the age of 55 years and shall have completed 20 years of continuous service as a member of the fire department next preceding the date of his retirement, may retire from service at his option. Any member of the fire department who shall become physically disabled by reason of any bodily injury received in the performance of his duty may be retired from service on satisfactory proof thereof. The retirement board, by unanimous vote, may retire from service any aged, disabled or infirm member of the fire department who has arrived at the age of 60 years and who has completed 20 years of continuous service as a member of the department next preceding such age, who may be ascertained to be, by reason of such age, infirmity or other disability, unfit for the performance of his duties.
Such retired member shall receive a monthly pension, payable throughout his life, equal to one-half the amount of the salary attached to the rank held by him three years prior to the date of his retirement hereinafter referred to as "pension" in this and the following section; provided that where such retirement is based on disability alone, in case the disability of such member shall cease, his pension shall cease, and he shall be restored to service in the rank he occupied at the time of his retirement. Should any said retired member die leaving a widow, who shall have been married to the decedent at least one year prior to the date of his retirement, such widow shall, as long as she may live and remain unmarried, be paid said pension; provided, further, that the widow of any said retired member who married said member after the effective date of his retirement and at least one year prior to his death shall be paid pension for time after December 31, 1974, as long as she may live and remain unmarried; provided, further, that should widow die leaving a child or children under the age of 16 years, said pension shall continue to be paid such children collectively until the youngest child arrives at the age of 16 years; and provided further, that should said retired member die leaving no widow but leaving an orphan child or children under the age of 16 years, such child or children collectively shall receive said pension until the youngest child attains the age of 16 years.
(b) The family of any member of the fire department who shall die as a result of any injury received during the performance of his duty, or from sickness clearly, unmistakably and directly caused by and resulting from the discharge of such duty, or while eligible for a pension on account of years of service in the department, or who has served 20 consecutive years in the department and attained the age of 55 years, shall receive the following benefits.
First, should the decedent leave a widow to whom he was married prior to the date of the injury resulting in death, his widow shall, as long as she may live and remain unmarried, be paid a monthly pension equal to one- half of the salary attached to the rank held by the decedent at the time of his said injury; provided that the widow of any said retired member who married said member after the effective date of his retirement and at least one year prior to his death shall be paid pension for time after December 31, 1974, as long as she may live and remain unmarried; provided, however, that should said widow die, leaving a child or children under the age of 16 years, said pension shall continue to such child or children collectively until the youngest child arrives at the age of 16 years.
Second, should the decedent leave no widow, but leave an orphan child or children under the age of 16 years, such child or such children collectively shall receive said pension until the youngest child attains the age of 16 years.
Third, should the decedent leave no widow and no orphan child or children, but leave a parent or parents dependent solely upon him for support, such parents so depending shall collectively receive said pension during such time as the retirement board may unanimously determine its necessity.
(c) When any member of the department shall die from natural causes and before retirement, and when no pension is payable to his widow or children, there shall be paid to his estate or beneficiary a death benefit, the amount of which and the conditions for the payment of which shall be determined in the manner prescribed by the Board of Supervisors for the death benefit of other members of the Retirement System.
Upon the death of a member after retirement and regardless of the cause of death, a death benefit shall be paid to his estate or designated beneficiary, the amount of which and the conditions for payment of which shall be determined in the manner prescribed by the Board of Supervisors for the payment of a similar death benefit upon the death of other retired members.
(d) In addition to the other contributions required of the City and County under the Retirement System, the City and County shall contribute to the Retirement System during each fiscal year a sum which shall be equal to the liabilities accruing under the Retirement System because of service rendered during such year by persons becoming members on the eighth day of January, 1932, under this section. If, subsequent to such fiscal year, it shall be determined that such contribution by the City and County was not sufficient to meet such liability, then the City and County shall make such additional contribution as may be necessary to make up the deficit.
(e) No benefits shall be provided under the Retirement System for, nor shall any contributions be required of, persons who become members of the Retirement System under this section, in addition to the benefits specifically provided and contributions specifically required in such section. Any pension payable because of the death or retirement of any such person shall be reduced in the manner fixed by the Board of Supervisors, by the amount of any benefits payable to or on account of such person, under the Workers' Compensation Insurance and Safety Law of the State of California.
(f) Persons who are members of the fire department on the eighth day of January, 1932, shall have the option, to be exercised in writing on or before the first day of July, 1932, of becoming members of the Retirement System under the provisions of Section 8.567, which applies to persons who become members of the department after the eighth day of January, 1932. If such persons shall affirmatively exercise such option within the time specified, then they shall not receive any benefit under this section, but shall become members of the Retirement System and shall receive benefits and make contributions on the same basis as persons who become members of the department after the eighth day of January, 1932, provided that a pension for each person affirmatively exercising such option shall be payable on account of service rendered to the City and County prior to the eighth day of January, 1932, by contributions of the City and County, which pension shall be the same percentage, regardless of the age of retirement of his final compensation, as defined by the Board of Supervisors, for each year of service, as the contributions of the member and the City and County are calculated to provide upon retirement at age 55 for each year of service rendered as a member of the Retirement System.
The amendments of Subsections (a), and (b), of this section contained in the proposition therefor submitted to the electorate on November 5, 1974, do not and shall not give any person any claim against the City and County for any pension for time prior to January 1, 1975.