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Service
Occupational disability
Non-occupational disability
Service Retirement
Employees are eligible to retire with 20 years of credited service. This can include both actual service years and purchased time.
Annuity – the service retirement annuity is calculated as 2.5% of average salary times years of service. Members may add unused sick leave to service credit and average annual salary for purposes of calculating retirement benefits.
Retirement Process - A member initiates the retirement process by submission of the retirement application and supplemental questionnaire. When the member submits a retirement application, he or she is required to notify the Board by marking the appropriate response on the retirement application if he or she intends to purchase service credit for accumulated unused sick leave. Once the member’s years of service are verified, the application is placed on the agenda for the next meeting for consideration by the Board. Applications for retirement must be submitted to the PFRF office no later than one week prior to the next scheduled Board meeting. If applications are received after that time they will be held until the following monthly meeting.
Occupational Disability Retirement
If a member is injured in the line of duty, they may qualify for an occupational disability.
A member is considered totally and permanently disabled after the Board has received written certification by at least two physicians selected by the Board that the member is totally and likely to be permanently disabled for the further performance of the duties of a police officer or firefighter.
Annuity - The minimum disability annuity rate for a total and permanent occupational disability is sixty percent (60%) of the member's last rate of salary and the maximum annuity rate is seventy-five percent (75%) of his last rate of salary. The minimum rate is increased by one half (1/2) of the amount by which the member's percentage of disability exceeds twenty percent (20%). For example, if the total disability is 30%, then the member would be entitled to receive an annuity of 65% (i.e. [60% + (30% – 20%)/2] = 65%).
If a member is eligible for a service retirement annuity and the amount of his service retirement annuity would exceed the amount of his occupational disability annuity under this section, then the member may elect to receive an additional service retirement annuity payment equal to the amount by which his service retirement would have exceeded the disability retirement.
Retirement Process - In order to apply for a disability retirement, a member must first complete the retirement application and supplemental questionnaire. Additionally, the member must submit a signed release for medical information and a doctor’s statement regarding the disability, indicating whether the member has reached maximum medical improvement (MMI) and a fitness for duty evaluation. When the member has filed a worker’s compensation claim for the injury or illness that is the cause of his disability, the member must also submit an SP-302 (workers’ compensation) injury report. The retirement application must specify the nature of the disability.
Once the Board verifies that all documents are completed properly, the application is placed on the agenda for the next meeting for consideration by the Board. The Board will then consider referring members to Board approved physicians for disability evaluation.
The PFRF administrative staff will then coordinate the two doctor appointments and provide the Doctors with a form to complete upon evaluation. Once the doctors’ reports are received in the administrative offices, they are provided to the Board and placed on the agenda for consideration by the Board.
Non-Occupational Disability
A member of the fund is eligible to receive a non-occupational disability if they have at least five years of service in the fund and a disabling injury that results from non-occupational causes.
Annuity - The amount of the annuity is equal to two and one-half percent (2.5%) of the average highest average annual salary for three consecutive years for each full year of total service, subject a minimum payment of twenty-five percent (25%) of such average salary and a maximum payment of seventy-five percent (75%) of average salary.
Retirement Process - In order to apply for a disability retirement, a member must first complete the retirement application and supplemental questionnaire. Additionally, the member must submit a signed release for medical information and a doctor’s statement regarding the disability, indicating whether the member has reached maximum medical improvement (MMI) and a fitness for duty evaluation. The retirement application must specify the nature of the disability.
Once the Board verifies that all documents are completed properly, the application is placed on the agenda for the next meeting for consideration by the Board. The Board will then consider referring members to Board approved physicians for disability evaluation.
The PFRF administrative staff will then coordinate the two doctor appointments and provide the Doctors with a form to complete upon evaluation. Once the doctors’ reports are received in the administrative offices, they are provided to the Board and placed on the agenda for consideration by the Board.
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