By their service, Ohio firefighters have earned dignity and security in retirement

EDITOR:

As an active member of the Cincinnati Fire Department and as president of the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters, I am compelled to respond to last Sunday’s story on Ohio’s public pension plans.

As I have been elected to represent professional firefighters in Ohio, I will only address the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund.

While it is easy for the daily papers to use their bully pulpit to enrage the public against Ohio’s professional firefighters and inflame pension envy against retired firefighters who have dedicated their lives to service in our communities, at least a few facts should be noted.

It is clear from the series that the various writers do not comprehend the 30-year funding model, nor how Ohio law applies this tool to the pension systems. For example, Columbus Dispatch writer James Nash writes, “The State Teachers Retirement System and the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund are currently in violation of state law requiring them to have enough money to cover their pension obligations for 30 years.” This is simply not true.

The law requires the systems to have a plan in place, submitted to the Ohio Retirement Study Council, which would bring the plans to a full funding ratio in 30 years. The law requires only that the system submit the plan. It is up to the legislature, working with the ORSC and the pension systems, to implement that plan. There is no requirement for the pension systems to have 30 years of pension obligations on hand.

The history of how the Ohio Police & Fire Pension Fund got to where it is today was not reported. The fund was created in 1967 with seven dollars of liability for every dollar of asset. A statewide plan was created because the employers (cities) defaulted on payments to local pension plans. Once the plan was created, these same employers owed the pension fund hundreds of millions of dollars. And, many have still not paid off that debt.

Where is the media outrage at the failure of employers to budget for debts incurred more than 40 years ago?

In 1986, employer contribution rates were frozen. This allowed local jurisdictions to more accurately budget retirement costs. The employee rates were increased. Contribution rates have not increased since 1986. What costs the same today as it did in 1986, aside from Ohio’s Police and Fire Pension?

As firefighters and emergency medical service professionals, we are there for the people of Ohio. We are there for you in your darkest hours, when you have no where else to turn, we are there to literally save lives, and we retire with an average pension of less than $34,000.

Throughout our active careers, Ohio’s firefighters and paramedics are driven by professionalism, courage, and integrity. In retirement, we deserve the dignity and security which we earned by our years of dedicated service for the citizens of our communities.

MARK A. SANDERS

President, Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters

Cincinnati