Fire Creditable Service

What is creditable service?

It is time served as a firefighter of a municipality (includes fire or marine engineer, fire pilot, bomb technician or scuba diver where duties include those of a firefighter)

What does creditable include?

• Leaves of Absence for Illness or Accident - Leaves of absence for illness or accident regardless of length and periods of disability for which a firefighter received no disability payments under Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code shall be counted as creditable service.

• Leaves of Absence for 30 Days or Less in Any One Year - Furloughs and leaves of absence of 30 days or less in any one year may be counted as creditable service, if the firefighter makes the contribution to the fund that would have been required had he or she not been on furlough or leave of absence. To qualify, the firefighter must pay the required contribution to the fund not more than 90 days subsequent to the termination of the furlough or leave of absence, if the municipality has not made such contributions on his or her behalf.

• Military Service - Creditable service includes military service in the reserves (voluntary or called), military, naval or air force of the United States not to exceed 5 years (exception: a firefighter with more than 5 years of creditable service on July 1, 1973 shall receive the total amount as of that date). The firefighter must pay required contributions (including what is normally the municipality's) if the latter made no contribution on behalf of the firefighter upon applying for a permanent pension. The code contains no provision for any assessment of interest charges. Reference Section 4-108, (c), (1) and (2) for special cases regarding service prior to July 1, 1976.

• Service in a Statewide Firefighters' Association - Creditable service includes up to 8 years of service by a firefighter as an officer in a statewide firefighters' association when on a leave of absence from a municipalities payroll, provided that the firefighter has at least 10 years of creditable service as an active firefighter. The firefighter must contribute to the fund the amount that he or she would have contributed had he or she remained an active member of the fund. The employee or statewide firefighter association must contribute to the fund an amount equal to the employer's required contribution as determined by the board.

• Time Spent as an On-call Firefighter for a Municipality - Time spent as an on-call firefighter for a municipality can be calculated at the rate of one year of creditable service for each 5 years of time spent as an on-call fireman not to exceed a total of three years creditable service. This will be admissible only if (1) the firefighter has at least 18 years of creditable service as an active firefighter, (2) the firefighter spent 14 years or more as an on-call firefighter for the municipality, (3) the firefighter applies for the creditable service within 30 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1989, (4) the firefighter contributes to the fund an amount representing employee contributions for the number of years of creditable service granted. This amount will be based on the salary and contribution rate in effect for the firefighter at the date of entry into the fund, to be determined by the board.

• Service Initially Excluded Due to Age - Service of a firefighter, prior to July 1, 1976 and service of a firefighter who was initially excluded from participation due to age but subsequently became a participant under the amendment to Section 4-107 made by the amendatory Act of 1993 and paid the required contribution for such service shall be counted as creditable service.

• Time Served Between July 1, 1976 and July 1, 1988 in the Position of a Protection Inspection Officer or Administrative Assistant for Fire Services - Time served as a Protective Inspection Officer or Administrative Assistant can be counted as creditable service if the time was served within a municipality with a population under 10,000 that is located in a county with a population over 3,000 that maintains a firefighters' pension fund under Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Code and fell between the dates of July 1, 1976 and July 1, 1988. The position had to include firefighters duties, notwithstanding that the person may not have held an appointment as a firefighter. The position must make application to the fund within 30 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1991, and the corresponding contributions must be paid for the number of years of service granted. The contribution paid will be based upon the salary and contribution rate in effect for the firefighter at the date of entry into the pension fund, as determined by the board.

• Disability Pension - Effective August 6, 1999, up to 3 years of time during which a firefighter receives a disability pension under Section 4-110, 4-110.1 or 4-111 can be counted as creditable service provided that the firefighter returns to active service after the disability for a period at least equal to the period for which credit is to be established and the firefighter makes contributions to the fund based on the rates specified in Section 4-118.1 and the salary upon which the disability pension is based. Contributions may be paid at any time prior to the commencement of a retirement pension. The firefighter may elect to have these contributions deducted from the disability pension or pay the contributions by installments on a schedule approved by the board. If the firefighter chooses to pay by installments, the contributions shall include an interest at the rate of 6% per year, compounded annually, from the date for which service credit is being established to the date of payment. If payment of contributions is made in excess of those needed to establish the credit, the excess shall be refunded. This will apply only to firefighters who are currently receiving a disability pension under the above subsections as well as firefighters who begin to receive a disability pension on or after August 6 1999.

What does creditable service not include?

• Furloughs an leaves of absence without pay exceeding 30 days.
• Time spent as a volunteer firefighter.