1. A volunteer firefighter serving a rural, volunteer or subscription fire department or organization is serving the state of Missouri in an official capacity as a fire protection volunteer and is hereby declared to be a public safety officer of the state of Missouri serving without wages, salary or certain other employee-type fringe benefits described in subsection 3 of this section.

2. The designation of a volunteer firefighter as a public safety officer of the state of Missouri in subsection 1 of this section does not entitle a volunteer firefighter to any rights, privileges or benefits provided to an employee or official of the state of Missouri, including retirement benefits and participation in the state legal defense fund, except as provided in subsection 3 of this section.

3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection 2 of this section, any rural, volunteer or subscription fire department or organization, or volunteer fire protection association as defined in section 320.300, may provide life insurance, accident, sickness, health, disability, annuity, length of service, retirement, pension and other employee-type fringe benefits, subject to the provisions of section 70.615, for volunteer firefighters who are members of any such department, organization or association and such other benefits for their spouses and eligible unemancipated children as the governing board deems appropriate, either through a contributory or noncontributory plan, or both. For purposes of this section, “eligible unemancipated child” means a natural or adopted child of an insured, or a stepchild of an insured who is domiciled with the insured, who is less than twenty-three years of age, who is not married, not employed on a full-time basis, not maintaining a separate residence except for full-time students in an accredited school or institution of higher learning, and who is dependent on parents or guardians for at least fifty percent of his or her support. The type and extent of such benefits shall be determined by the governing board of the department, organization or association, whichever is applicable. The provision and receipt of such benefits shall not make the recipient an employee of the district, association or organization. Directors or board members who are also volunteer firefighters may receive such benefits while serving as a director or board member of the district, association or organization.