Membership Age Restrictions

The OSA has received questions about relief association bylaw provisions that limit application for membership in the association. For example, some bylaws limit relief association membership to firefighters who are younger than 35.

While volunteer fire relief associations are prohibited from accepting firefighters who are younger than 18 into membership, specifying a maximum age for membership application may be problematic.

Denial of relief association membership where the sole basis for the denial is age may be age discrimination. Also, bylaw provisions that specify a maximum age for membership application may not be enforceable.

Relief associations should consult their attorneys for guidance if their bylaws contain age-based membership restrictions.

Published last in the July 2015 Pension Newsletter