Joint Base Cape Cod firefighters seek state retirement buyback to reflect prior federal service

Joint Base Cape Cod firefighters told the Joint Committee on Public Service they should be allowed to purchase (buy back) prior federal service so that their time working at the former Otis Air National Guard base is fully credited in the Massachusetts state retirement system. The testimony focused on House Bill 4317, “an act relative to Joint Base Cape Cod Fire Department retirement buyback.”

The issue matters because the fire department transferred from federal to state employment during a federal base realignment and closure process and, according to presenters, some employees who served during that transition were left without a mechanism to have their federal time reflected in state retirement records.

“During our formative transition years, I served as vice president and president of the union. We're here before you to ask, to for this buyback of retirement time,” said Eric Weston, deputy chief at Joint Base Cape Cod, describing the department’s evolution from the federal Otis fire department into a state employer. He said the transition, which the witnesses placed in the late 2000s and described as “very seamless” on-shift, produced mixed results for employees’ retirement credit.

Representative Steven Xiaros, who described himself as a representative from the Fifth Barnstable District on Cape Cod, said the department “not only do what they do on Joint Base Cape Cod … but also what they do in the community,” and asked the committee to report HB4317 favorably. Paul Jakes, legislative agent for the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts, said members of Local 528, including captain Scott Chequin, deputy chief Eric Weston, lieutenant Josh Child and lieutenant Sean Dion, support the bill.

Testimony explained the specific problem: when the federal fire department’s employees became state employees through action in about 2008, many firefighters had worked for Otis (the federal installation) and then continued as state employees. Some members who transitioned later or who had federal retirement credits were able to buy back time; others were not. Weston described roughly a dozen members who remain “orphaned” and noted some had between one and 10 years of prior Otis service they want recognized. He said the goal is to allow affected employees “the opportunity to purchase their federal service time, ensuring it's actually accurately reflected in our state retirement records.”

Witnesses also described coordination with the military, the Coast Guard, and other agencies during the base realignment and said parts of the department’s personnel were designated as federal/state cooperative employees. They asked the committee to correct what they described as a fairness gap created by a rapid transition and later administrative handling.

No formal committee action or vote was taken on HB4317 during the hearing. Committee members asked clarifying questions about why the buyback was not handled at the time of transition; witnesses said the transition was rushed and the option either was not known or could not be implemented in the time available.

If the committee advances the bill, it would direct the legislative process; witnesses requested a favorable report. The testimony did not include a drafted implementation timetable or a fiscal note in the hearing record.

Ending: The committee heard multiple related bills in the session; advocates for HB4317 asked lawmakers to repair retirement credit discrepancies created by the federal-to-state transfer of the Joint Base Cape Cod Fire Department.