Whenever any firefighter who has served a total of five years as a member of a paid fire department of any city in this state or any police officer of any city or village, including any city having a home rule charter, shall suffer death or disability as a result of hypertension or heart or respiratory defect or disease, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that such death or disability resulted from accident or other cause while in the line of duty for all purposes of the Police Officers Retirement Act, sections 15-1012 to 15-1027, and the Cities of the First Class Firefighters Retirement Act, and any firefighter's or police officer's pension plan established pursuant to any home rule charter, the Legislature specifically finding the subject of this section to be a matter of general statewide concern. The rebuttable presumption shall apply to death or disability as a result of hypertension or heart or respiratory defect or disease after the firefighter or police officer separates from his or her applicable employment if the death or disability occurs within three months after such separation. Such rebuttable presumption shall apply in any action or proceeding arising out of death or disability incurred prior to December 25, 1969, and which has not been processed to final administrative or judicial conclusion prior to such date.