7704 N/A—CA, CT, MN, NJ, NY
PHRASEOLOGY FIREFIGHTERS & DRIVERS.
When part-time or volunteer firefighters are employed, the actual pay of all such persons shall be included with the payroll of regular firefighters in computing the premium. In no case, however, shall the pay of any such firefighters be taken at less than $300 per person per annum.
CROSS-REF. Fire Patrol or Protective Corps & Drivers--not salvage operations.
State Special: Alaska—Firefighters & Drivers—when part-time or volunteer firefighters are employed, the actual pay of each person shall be utilized in computing the premium but shall be subject to a minimum annual payroll of $2,000 per fighter;
Arizona—Firefighters-part-time or volunteer firefighters to be separately rated as 8411—Voluntary Municipal Personnel;
Florida—Firefighters & Drivers—when part-time or volunteer firefighters are employed, the actual pay of all such persons will be included with the payroll of regular firefighters in calculating the premium. In no case, however, will the payroll of any such firefighter be taken at less than $1000 per person per annum;
Georgia—Firefighters & Drivers—when part-time or volunteer firefighters are employed, the actual pay of all such persons shall be included with the payroll of regular firefighters in computing the premium. In no case, however, shall the pay of any such firefighters, including volunteer officers, be taken at less than $300 annually per person. The minimum pay of $300 annually per person also applies to fire department volunteers that are assigned to a standard exception classification;
Illinois—Volunteer Firefighters and Drivers—when volunteer firefighters are employed, the actual payroll of all such persons must be included with the payroll of regular firefighters in calculating the premium. In no case, however, must the payroll of any such firefighters, including volunteer officers, be taken at less than $300 per person per annum. Such volunteers may be classified to a standard exception classification in accordance with Rule 1-B-2 of the Basic Manual for Workers Compensation and Employers Liability Insurance; however, the minimum payroll of $300 per annum must be applicable;
Massachusetts—Forest Fire Fighting & Drivers;
Massachusetts—Municipal, Township, County or State Employee NOC—Major Governmental Occupations Assigned to Classifications Other Than Code 9410: Firemen Miscellaneous Employees—Not Regular or Volunteer Members of the Fire Department & Drivers;
New Mexico--Firefighters & Drivers—the premium for volunteer firefighters shall be determined on the basis of the pay normally received by regular employees doing the same or similar work and employed for the same period of time as such employees;
South Carolina--substitute $1000 in place of $300 in the national phraseology above;
South Dakota—Ambulance or Rescue Worker & Drivers—when volunteer ambulance or rescue workers are employed, the actual pay of all such persons shall be included with the payroll of regular firefighters in computing the premium. In no case, however, shall the pay of any such firefighters be taken at less than $300 per person per annum;
Vermont—Firefighters & Drivers—when regularly enrolled part-time or active volunteer firefighters are employed, the payroll of all such persons shall be added to the payroll of the full-time paid firefighters in computing premium. In no case, however, shall the pay of enrolled part-time or volunteer firefighters be taken at an amount less than $275 per annum for each firefighter. Further, for premium determination purposes, the maximum number of enrolled part-time or active volunteer firefighters is 35 members per company, unless the company has more than one piece of firefighting apparatus. If the company has more than one piece of firefighting apparatus, then the maximum number of such firefighters for premium determination purposes is 25 for each piece of apparatus. (The payroll exposure of the risk shall be established in every instance by audit in accordance with this rule.) The minimum premium for the classification shall in no event be less than $100 per fire company, plus the Expense Constant. The earned premium determined in accordance with this rule is to be collected in addition to the Expense Constant. If the policy contains other classifications which have a greater minimum premium than that calculated using the method above, then the highest minimum premium shall apply to the policy. (The minimum premium for the classification shall be the sum of the minimum earned premiums for the individual companies plus the Expense Constant.) The earned premium determined for each company is to be collected in every event in addition to the Expense Constant, and additional to the earned premium and/or the minimum premium as may be otherwise determined by any other classification on the policy;
Virginia—Firefighters & Drivers—volunteer or part-time firefighters to be separately rated under 7711;
Wisconsin—Firefighters & Drivers—Non-Volunteer.
SCOPE Code 7704 is principally applied to firefighters employed by municipalities. It does not apply to special firefighting crews employed by insureds other than municipalities for fire protection of their own premises. The classification includes part-time or volunteer firefighters in states other than those that have special state classifications for volunteer firefighters.
The method of computing premium for part-time or volunteer firefighters is set forth in the classification's footnote. Individual state rate pages should be reviewed to determine if an amount other than a minimum of $300 per annum per part-time or volunteer firefighter is applicable in a particular jurisdiction.
Code 7704 is also applied to fire protective corps or fire patrols. These insureds were initially organized by fire underwriters for the purpose of minimizing damage to merchandise or equipment when fires occur. Employees of these insureds do not assist or participate in actual firefighting activities. Their function is to protect merchandise, machinery and equipment from water damage consequential to controlling and extinguishing a fire. This may involve removal of the merchandise, machinery and equipment from the premises and placement of tarpaulins or other protective coverings over the property to be protected. Also, they may set up pumps to expel water from structures. Usually, these fire patrols or fire protective corps work under or above the actual fire so as to afford adjacent floors the maximum protection during the blaze. After the fire is out, their duties are confined to guarding the damaged premises until either the merchandise is removed or appropriate security measures have been accomplished by others.
Insureds engaged in the business of forest fire fighting may be classified to either Code 7704 for operations not conducted from an aircraft and/or Codes 7420 and 7423 for operations conducted from an aircraft. (Oregon—see Code 2704 for non-aircraft fire fighting operations.)
Refer to Code 7228 for classification procedures for dispatchers.
State Addendum
Massachusetts —regular members of fire departments employed by, or volunteer
members associated with, municipalities, townships, counties or the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts, with exception of private duty details, are subject to M.G.L.
Chapter 41, Section 111F, and therefore are not generally covered under the
Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Act, Chapter 152. It is the carrier's
responsibility to determine if the firefighters are employees or excludable
municipal employees for workers compensation purposes with respect to private
duty details. If it is determined that the firefighters are employees, the
carrier should determine premium in accordance with Rule V—Premium Basis
of the MA Manual. Refer to Code 7219 for
classification procedures for dispatchers.