Military Service and its effect on Fire Pensions
The police and fire service has been affected due to the call up of the military reserves. Questions have been asked of the Association office regarding the effects of military call up.
Does my military time count as creditable service toward my fire pension?
What affect will being called up have on my pension?
What about pension contributions?
Creditable service as defined by the Pension Statute:
Sec. 4-108. Creditable service.
(c) Creditable service includes:
(1) Service in the military, naval or air forces of the United States entered upon when the person was an active firefighter, provided that, upon applying for a permanent pension, and in accordance with the rules of the board the firefighter pays into the fund the amount that would have been contributed had he or she been a regular contributor during such period of service, if and to the extent that the municipality which the firefighter served made no such contributions in his or her behalf. The total amount of such creditable service shall not exceed 5 years, except that any firefighter who on July 1, 1973 had more than 5 years of such creditable service shall receive the total amount thereof as of that date.
Translation and interpretation:
The firefighter must make his or her normal contribution to the fund as though he or she was still working in order for the time to be considered creditable. The contribution must be paid prior to the firefighter retiring. There is nothing in the statute that requires payment of the employers’ contribution, nor is there a requirement for the firefighter to make the contributions at the time of service. Further, there is no provision for the pension board to assess interest charges for the contribution when it is made. The municipality may, at its discretion, make the employees contribution on their behalf.
How do I join the IPFA?
Joining the IPFA has never been easier. Just click on “Join Us” above and it will open in a pdf file. Print the application, complete it and mail it to the IPFA office with your check payable to the IPFA.
Associate Membership Application
Firefighter Membership Application
I’m already a member of a bargaining unit, why should I join Illinois Professional Firefighters Association?
IPFA is independent of any labor organization and is a strong voice for firefighters pension benefits in Springfield. Pension benefits are determined by Illinois Statute and are not negotiable under union contracts.
What has IPFA done lately?
Illinois Professional Firefighters Association was instrumental in getting legislation passed for increasing annual pension benefits from 2% to 2 1/2% per year for each year worked over 20 years, increasing the maximum benefit from 70% to 75% after 30 years.
What if I have a specific question about pension benefits?
Member have multiple options. You can e-mail Illinois Professional Firefighters Association at ipfa@aol.com, you can call the IPFA office at 630-833-2405, or fax your questions to 630-833-2412. There is a vast wealth of knowledge and experience among the IPFA Board and it’s membership.
What is the Size-Up?
The Size-Up is a newsletter published by the IPFA. It features a Legal Update section that presents recent court cases that are important to firefighters pensions. It also contains additional information and interesting articles pertaining to the fire service and pensions.
Click on “IPFA Newsletter” above to view a sample page in pdf format.
Is there any benefit if our whole department joins Illinois Professional Firefighters Association?
Yes, there is a group dues discount program. Any department with 5 or more full-time members is eligible to take advantage of IPFA’s Group Dues Billing Program. This program provides a 10% dues discount to the departments that participate. Contact the IPFA office for more information.