Utah must restore the public safety retirement to 20 years, as the current 25-year requirement under the Tier 2 system forces our firefighters to gamble with their physical and mental health.
Firefighters willingly show up on our worst days. Running into burning buildings, risking injury, and, most significantly, increasing the risk of cancer.
Currently, the Utah Retirement Systems Tier 2 retirement plan requires first responders to work 25 years for their full pension benefit, a step back from the 20-year requirement of Tier 1 employees who were lucky enough to start their careers before the switch. Those who try to retire early face punishing reductions of up to 9% per year.
Why should we care? According to the Utah Firefighter Cancer Initiative, firefighters face a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general public. Furthermore, recent screening programs reported by the Huntsman Cancer Institute continually find asymptomatic cancers in firefighters due to elevated daily exposure to carcinogens. Forcing our first responders to stay on the job an extra five years significantly increases their exposure to deadly toxins, alongside compounding risks of cardiovascular disease, physical breakdown and injury from an aging workforce, and PTSD.
While opponents might cite the state’s fiscal costs of reforming Tier 2, the human cost of forcing our heroes to work until they are terminally ill or have a disabling injury is unacceptable. The state also pays heavily for ongoing recruitment and retention costs because of these uncompetitive benefits.
The solution is straightforward: lawmakers must pass legislation restoring the 20-year retirement for public safety personnel.
I urge all Utahns to contact their state legislators and demand they fix Tier 2 retirement. Our first responders protect us; it’s time we protect them.
Keith Seils, Riverton