As families across Illinois celebrate the holidays, thousands of professional firefighters and paramedics are spending their days and nights protecting our communities — often missing their own celebrations to respond when lives are on the line. While most people are gathered around their tables, firefighters are rescuing victims from fires, responding to heart attacks and helping neighbors through some of their worst moments.

But today, Illinois fire departments are struggling to fill open positions. Chiefs report fewer qualified applicants than ever before, and too many promising recruits are leaving the profession early. The reason is clear: our state’s Tier 2 retirement system is unfair, unsustainable and driving people away.

Tier 2 firefighters pay the same amount into their pensions as their more senior colleagues, yet receive significantly reduced benefits — including a higher retirement age, lower cost-of-living adjustments and a pensionable salary cap that cuts into their future financial security. They do not qualify for Social Security, and they must pay full cost for retiree health insurance, often totaling more than $1,300 a month.

These diminished benefits make it harder to recruit and retain firefighters, which threatens service levels and response times statewide. Public safety depends on strong staffing — and strong staffing depends on a retirement system that doesn’t penalize those who commit their careers to saving others.

Legislators have a solution in front of them: Senate Bill 1937, which would strengthen Tier 2 pensions and ensure Illinois continues to attract and keep the highly trained professionals our communities rely on. The bill is ready for action in the upcoming session.

As we look toward a new year, lawmakers can give Illinois families a meaningful gift: a fire service that remains strong, fully staffed, and ready to answer every call for help.

Pass SB 1937. Fix Tier 2. Protect our communities.

Chuck Sullivan, President

Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois