Tier 1 Firefighters Retirement Information
Disability Benefits If you are an active member of this system and you are unable to perform firefighter service due to a physical or mental condition that is classified by our office as a line-of-duty disability, your monthly retirement benefit will be 50 % of your final average monthly salary with no minimum age or service requirements. If your disability is not in the line of duty, your benefit will be the same as for a line-ofduty disability if you have five or more years of service. If you have less than five years, you may take a refund of member contributions. You will receive a disability benefit until the earlier of:
» The date you are no longer disabled; OR » The date you have accumulated 20 years of firefighter service credit, including years earned while disabled.
Tier 1 Firefighters 2025-2026 Tier 1 Firefighter » You have received disability benefits from this system and as of the date of disability:
• You are under age 60, benefits will be payable until age 65.
• You are age 60-61, benefits will be payable for 5 years.
• You are age 62-63, benefits will be payable for 4 years.
• You are age 64-65, benefits will be payable for 3 years.
• You are age 66-68, benefits will be payable for 2 years.
• You are age 69 or older, benefits will be payable for 1 year.
You will receive firefighter service credit during your period of disability. A line-of-duty disability retirement is not taxable until your benefit is converted to a service retirement. Your disability benefit will convert to a service retirement when your disability benefit terminates. If you are employed with another participating employer during the period of disability, you cannot receive service credit for that employment. If you retire on disability and accept employment, you are required to file a sworn statement with our office each year regarding your gross earnings for the first five years of receiving disability benefits. If your benefit and gross earnings combined exceed 125 % of the final average salary used to determine your disability benefit, your benefit will be offset the following year. Your disability benefit will be suspended while you are receiving worker’ s compensation benefits. Effective January 1, 2002, a line-of-duty disability is exempt from taxation to the extent permitted under federal law.
Tier 2 Public Safety and Firefighter Your employer’ s long-term disability( LTD) program describes your benefits. If your employer has a benefit protection contract with our office and you have been approved for LTD benefits, you will continue to accrue benefits as provided according to the retirement system in which you participate.
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