The following words and phrases as used in this section, Section 8.588 and Sections 8.588-2 through 8.588-14, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context, shall have the following meanings:
"Retirement allowance," "death allowance" or "allowance," shall mean equal monthly payments, beginning to accrue upon the date of retirement, or upon the day following the date of death, as the case may be, and continuing for life unless a different term of payment is definitely provided by the context.
"Compensation," as distinguished from benefits under the Workers' Compensation Insurance and Safety Act of the State of California, shall mean the remuneration payable in cash, by the City and County, without deduction except for absence from duty, for time during which the individual receiving such remuneration is a member of the fire department, but excluding remuneration paid for overtime. Subject to requirement that it be payable in cash and that overtime be excluded, "compensation" for pension purposes may be defined in a collective bargaining agreement.
"Compensation earnable" shall mean the compensation which would have been earned had the member received compensation without interruption throughout the period under consideration and at the rates of remuneration attached at that time to the ranks or positions held by him or her during such period, it being assumed that during any absence, he or she was in the rank or position held by him or her at the beginning of the absence, and that prior to becoming a member of the fire department, he or she was in the rank or position first held by him or her in such department.
"Benefit" shall include "allowance," "retirement allowance," "death allowance" and "death benefit."
"Final compensation" shall mean the average monthly compensation earnable by a member during any one year of credited service in which his or her average compensation is the highest.
For the purpose of Sections 8.588 through 8.588-14, the terms "member of the fire department," "member of the department," or "member" shall mean any officer or employee of the fire department employed after November 1, 1976 who was or shall be subject to the Charter provisions governing entrance requirements of members of the uniformed force of said department and said terms shall further mean persons employed after November 1, 1976 at an age not greater than the maximum age then prescribed for entrance into employment in said uniformed force, to perform duties now performed under the titles of pilot of fireboats, or marine engineer of fireboats; provided, however, that said terms shall not include any person who has not satisfactorily completed such course of training as may be required by the fire department prior to assignment to active duty with said department.
"Retirement system" or "system" shall mean San Francisco City and County Employees' Retirement System as created in Section 8.500 of the Charter.
"Retirement board" shall mean "retirement board" as created in Section 3.670 of the Charter.
"Charter" shall mean the Charter of the City and County of San Francisco.
Words used in the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter gender, and singular numbers shall include the plural and the plural the singular.
"Interest" shall mean interest at the rate adopted by the retirement board.
(Amended November 1996)