Retirement Security
A secure pension in retirement recognizes the price paid by firefighters and their families for a career of putting themselves in harm’s way.
A pension is a promise made to those who serve, and it is a promise that must be kept.
Protecting and strengthening this retirement promise is central to the mission of California Professional Firefighters and your local union.
A Pension is Your Hard-Earned Retirement Lifeline
A defined-benefit pension ensures that, when you’re finished with a difficult career on the front lines, you will be assured a steady income in retirement based on a percentage of your highest salary for one or three years. Unlike a defined contribution retirement plan, such as a 401k, your pension is a guaranteed payment you’ve earned for a lifetime of work.
Why Retirement Security Matters to You
Everyone deserves to retire with dignity after a career of hard work and sacrifice. Working as a frontline firefighter is one of the most rigorous and stressful jobs anywhere. The physical and mental toll of the job means shorter careers and, often, shorter lives. In addition, many firefighters do not receive Social Security, meaning their pension is their only source of income. A reasonable secure pension is earned over a lifetime of sacrifice. It is a promise that must be kept.
Myths and Facts about Pensions
Public Pensions: A $77 Billion Boost for California’s Economy
How Your Pension is Funded - CalPERS
The Fight to Protect Your Pension Security
Firefighter and police pension systems date to the late 19th Century, but for many working in the private sector, pension promises have been broken over the past 50 years. The same people that took pensions away from the private sector are trying to take them away from firefighters and other public workers. We can’t let that happen.
Californians for Retirement Security
CPF — On the Front Lines Protecting Your Pensions
Since its founding in 1938, California Professional Firefighters and local unions throughout the state have been fighting to protect and strengthen the secure retirement of firefighters and all public workers.