New York Laws
Article 2 - General Provisions
16-A - Volunteer Members of Fire Companies.

(1) who was recognized prior to the first day of January, two thousand
eleven, as a volunteer member of any fire company of a city subject to
the provisions of this section by the governing board or board of fire
commissioners of the city or by the officers and members of his fire
company, and
(2) who rendered active service with such fire company between such
dates, and
(3) who was, at the time of his or her election to membership, a
resident of the city or of territory outside the city which was afforded
fire protection by the fire department of the city, or any fire company
thereof, pursuant to a contract for fire protection, or who was a
non-resident who was elected to membership or who was continued as a
member, pursuant to the provisions of subdivision five or six of this
section, shall for all purposes in law be considered to have been duly
elected and approved, or continued, as a member in such fire company as
of the date of such approval, if any, and, if none, then as of the date
of such election or, in the case of a continuance, as of the date of the
approval, if any, by the board of fire commissioners or the governing
board, and, if none, as of the date of authorization of continuance by
the fire company; notwithstanding that there may have been some legal
defect in such election, or the proceedings precedent thereto, or a
failure of the board of fire commissioners or governing board to approve
such member, or approve the continuance of membership of such member, as
provided by the law in force at the time of such election, or
continuance, and the status of such person as a volunteer firefighter as
of such date is hereby legalized, validated and confirmed. This
subdivision shall not apply to a person, if any, whose volunteer
membership in a fire company was disapproved by the board of fire
commissioners or declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction
prior to the first day of January, two thousand eleven.
14. (a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any
volunteer fire department or fire company, through any member or members
thereof, officers, board of fire commissioners or other body or office
having power of appointment of volunteer firefighters in any fire
department or fire company pursuant to this section, because of the
race, creed, color, national origin, sex or marital status of any
individual, to exclude or to expel from its volunteer membership such
individual, or to discriminate against any of its members because of the
race, creed, color, national origin, sex or marital status of such
volunteer members.
(b) Any person claiming to be aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory
practice pursuant to this section may by himself or his attorney at law
make, sign and file with the state division of human rights, a verified
complaint which shall set forth the particulars of the alleged unlawful
discriminatory practice and contain such other information as the
division of human rights may require. The division shall thereupon cause
to be made an investigation and disposition of the charges pursuant to
the provisions of article fifteen of the executive law.