Fire fighters in Arizona retire through the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System, PSPRS. Some fire departments don’t pay into Social Security, so for their fire fighters the pension is the retirement. A career of shift work, smoke and heavy lifting is hard on a body; a secure pension is what lets people retire when the job says it’s time.
Three tiers, by hire date
- Tier 1: hired before January 1, 2012.
- Tier 2: hired from January 1, 2012 through June 30, 2017.
- Tier 3: hired on or after July 1, 2017. Members and employers split the required contributions equally, and members choose between the pension and a 401(a) account.
Two fire fighters on the same engine, doing the same job, can retire under very different rules depending on the year they were hired.
Where the funding stands
For years PSPRS was badly underfunded. That has turned around: the plan for tier 1 and 2 members reached 70.5 percent funded in fiscal year 2025, up from 46.9 percent in 2020, as employers paid down debt and investments beat their target. The pooled tier 3 plan was 102.4 percent funded.
That progress came from cities and districts paying what they owe. It needs to continue.
What we’re asking for
- Cities and fire districts keep paying down their pension debt on schedule.
- Tier 3 members get a fair retirement age and cost-of-living protection.
- No changes to earned benefits for people already retired.
Questions we hear
Which tier am I in?
It depends on your PSPRS hire date: before 1/1/2012 is Tier 1, 1/1/2012 through 6/30/2017 is Tier 2, and on or after 7/1/2017 is Tier 3.
Do fire fighters pay into their own pensions?
Yes. Members contribute from every paycheck, and their employer contributes too. The employer share is higher today mainly because employers are paying down past shortfalls in the Tier 1 and 2 plan.
Is the system going broke?
No. The Tier 1 and 2 plan is 70.5 percent funded and climbing, its strongest in nearly two decades, and the Tier 3 plan is fully funded.