(1) Because cities other than those of the first or second class currently have fire department relief associations, the legislature finds and declares that the law regarding these associations cannot be repealed. It is the express intention of the legislature to allow two separate and distinct retirement systems to exist. The first, which includes fire department relief associations, applies to cities other than those of the first or second class that wish to adopt it. The second, created by this chapter, applies to cities of the first or second class and those other cities that wish to adopt it. The purpose of the second system is to provide equity and security for retired firefighters who served cities of the first and second class and other cities electing to join the plan by creating a centrally administered system responsible for continuing all retirement payments from the assets of the system.
(2) Title 19, chapter 18, may not be applied in any way to a city operating under the plan created by this chapter except as otherwise provided.