(a) Generally. Effective September 30, 1989, any member who shall leave the service of the city through other than a disability, after meeting the 20-year service requirement, regardless of age, shall be entitled to receive a monthly benefit equal to 49 percent of the current (rank escalation) highest monthly base salary paid for the rank held by such former member at the time of termination of employment with the department plus 49 percent of the annual longevity pay and longevity credit earned by the member prior to January 1,2005. This benefit is to commence upon leaving active duty and is in lieu of any other retirement benefits as described in this article. Such monthly pension shall be paid regardless of income or earnings which the retirant receives from any other source.

(b) Survivor benefit; calculation for spouse. If a retired firefighter dies, the surviving spouse and/or alternate payee shall receive, until death, a monthly pension. The total benefit payable to the surviving spouse and the alternate payee shall not exceed 66 percent of the benefit, which includes rank escalation, paid to the deceased for that rank.

(c) Survivor benefit; calculation for children. Any member receiving a severance benefit who shall die leaving no surviving spouse, but leaving a child or children under the age of 18 years or under the age of 24 years if a full-time student as defined by the IRS code, such child or children shall receive the severance benefit calculated in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. Such benefits shall be payable in equal shares to the child or children then surviving, or to their guardians. If the benefit or some portion of the benefit has been disposed of under an approved domestic relations order, then the total amount payable to the child(ren) combined with the amount payable to the alternate payee shall equal 66 percent of the severance benefit, which includes rank escalation, theretofore paid to the deceased, and the severance benefit shall continue to be paid in equal shares to the surviving child or children under the age of 18 years or under the age of 24 years if a full-time student as defined by the IRS code. Upon attaining the age of 18 years or 24 years if a full-time student as defined in the IRS code, each child's entitlement to his or her share of the severance benefit shall terminate and cease to be paid and the remaining children's share shall be adjusted so that the severance benefit is paid equally as between the child or children. (Code 1979, § 15-125; Ord. No. 2005-03, § 4, 2-28-2005; Ord. No. 2000-75, § 4, 7-17-2000; Ord. No. 2000-27, § 3, 4-24-2000)