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Board orders charter amendment on firefighter retirement age submitted to voters
Summary
Supervisors agreed to submit a charter amendment to voters that would allow specified fire department members to qualify for the highest pension age factor at 55 instead of 58 to address cancer risks cited by the sponsor.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors ordered a charter amendment submitted to the November 5, 2024 ballot that would change a retirement age factor for certain members of the San Francisco Fire Department, allowing members who joined on or after Jan. 7, 2012, to reach the highest age factor percentage at age 55 rather than 58.
Sponsor remarks said the change aims to reduce the occupational cancer risk that firefighters face. The sponsor told colleagues that about 300 San Francisco firefighters have died of cancer in less than 20 years and that more than 200 current and retired firefighters have active cancer claims. He said the measure would allow members to retire with maximum service credit earlier and reduce health exposure tied to continued service.
The measure, described on the agenda as a charter amendment third draft, applies specifically to people who have become or will become members of the fire department on or after Jan. 7, 2012. The board took the item “same house, same call” and ordered the amendment submitted for the November ballot.
Why it matters: The amendment would change retirement calculations enshrined in the city charter and will require voter approval; it directly affects retirement benefits for a defined cohort of firefighters and touches pension, labor and public safety policy.
What’s next: The amendment will be placed on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot for voters to approve or reject.
