N.Y. General Municipal Law § 201: Rights and privileges of exempt volunteer firefighters

§ 201. Rights and privileges of exempt volunteer firefighters. In case

any city, town or village in this state shall organize a paid fire

department and thereby deprive any volunteer firefighter who has

faithfully actually performed service in the protection of life and

property within the territory protected by his or her company of the

right to serve a full term of five years such firefighter shall be

entitled to a full and honorable discharge; and to all the rights and

privileges granted by the laws of this state to volunteer firefighter,

provided, however, that if such paid department has been organized since

the first day of January in the year nineteen hundred and two, he or she

shall have so served for a consecutive period of at least one year

immediately preceding the installation of said paid fire department.