Every person who was a member of a firefighting organization operated by a private enterprise, which firefighting organization shall be hereafter acquired before September 1, 1959, by a municipality as its fire department as a matter of public convenience or necessity, where it is in the public interest to retain the trained personnel of such firefighting organization, shall have added and accredited to his or her period of employment as a firefighter his or her period of service with said private enterprise, except that this shall apply only to those persons who are in the service of such firefighting organization at the time of its acquisition by the municipality and who remain in the service of that municipality until this chapter shall become applicable to such persons.

No such person shall have added and accredited to his or her period of employment as a firefighter his or her period of service with said private enterprise unless he, she, or a third party shall pay to the municipality his or her contribution for the period of such service with the private enterprise at the rate provided in RCW 41.18.030, or, if he or she shall be entitled to any private pension or retirement benefits as a result of such service with the private enterprise, unless he or she agrees at the time of his or her employment by the municipality to accept a reduction in the payment of any benefits payable under this chapter that are based in whole or in part on such added and accredited service by the amount of those private pension or retirement benefits received. For the purposes of RCW 41.18.030, the date of entry of service shall be deemed the date of entry into service with the private enterprise, which service is accredited by this section, and the amount of contributions for the period of accredited service shall be based on the wages or salary of such person during that added and accredited period of service with the private enterprise.

The city may receive payments for these purposes from a third party and shall make from such payments contributions with respect to such prior service as may be necessary to enable the fund to assume its obligations.

Intent—Finding—2007 c 218: See note following RCW 41.08.020.