§ 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.