Your Retirement...

is provided through the New Jersey Police and Firemen's Retirement System, one of the few retirement systems for policemen and firemen in the country which is operated on a State-wide basis. This is an actuarial reserve system, one of the most financially secure in the United States. Each year you, the policemen and firemen, and your employers contribute dollars to the System. This money is accumulated, with interest, to finance the retirement obligations of the System. The State provides every service to accomplish this, including a specialized Division of Investment to assure the best possible return on the secure investment of these funds. As a public employee the System provides you with:

1. A retirement income based on years of service and average final compensation.

2. Disability retirement benefits.

3. Financial protection to your survivor, including group life insurance, in the event of your death.

MEMBERSHIP

Prior to July 1, 1944, many New Jersey municipalities and counties enrolled their policemen and firemen in local pension plans. Since July 1, 1944, new policemen and firemen have enrolled in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System. Additional municipalities, and counties which had never maintained a local plan, may now enroll their policemen and firemen in this new System as a result of a referendum.

It is now mandatory for every full-time, permanent, regular policeman or fireman to become a member unless his municipality has never adopted the System by referendum.

The pension law has a maximum age requirement which is consistent with the law governing appointments of policemen and firemen. In areas covered by Civil Service, the Civil Service Commission determines the maximum age eligibility for candidates it examines. The age of the candidate on the announced closing date for the examination determines his eligibility for the life of the Civil Service list. Certain veterans are afforded

privileges with regard to maximum age requirements for both appointment and pension coverage. The maximum age for enrollment is currently 35 years.

Applicants for enrollment are subject to physical examination to determine if their health is sufficiently good to satisfy the System as required by statute.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Whether a policeman or fireman has social security coverage is dependent upon WHEN his municipality initially participated in the Police and Firemen's Retirement System:

(a) You do NOT have social security coverage as a policeman or fireman if your municipality initially participated in the retirement system before social security coverage was extended to municipal employees. generally January 1, 1955.

(b) You DO have social security coverage if your municipality adopted the Police and Firemen's Retirement System since January 1, 1955. If policemen and firemen were covered for social security in your municipality before it adopted the Police and Firemen's Retirement System, all policemen and firemen in that municipality are subject to social security tax deductions in addition to employee contributions to the Police and Firemen's Retirement System.

HOW YOU JOIN

Selection of a person for a position as a policeman or fireman is the function of the employing municipality with the assistance of Civil Service in areas covered by Civil Service. However, before an employer makes an appointment he should be certain that the candidate is eligible for enrollment in the retirement system. Since membership in the retirement system is a condition of employment, a candidate who does not meet the age or medical qualifications of the retirement system would have to be discharged. When you are employed and are eligible to join the System, your employer will give you an enrollment application. Complete the form and return it to your employer. The form includes space for the report of your physical examination which may be given by the department or other physician designated by the municipality for the System. The System may require a physical examination by its own medical examiners.

Your employer will forward the completed enrollment application to the retirement system. After the enrollment process has been completed, a certification will be sent to your employer, with a copy for you, to begin salary deductions for the retirement system. The certification form is important. It is your certification of enrollment in the System. You will also receive an insurance certificate indicating your designation of beneficiary. Your beneficiary will receive death benefit payments in the manner you selected. You may change the beneficiary and/or the method of payment at any time by advising the System. The retirement system will provide the necessary forms at your request.

NOTE: Keep these forms in a safe place and file other records or letters from the System.

PRIOR SERVICE CREDIT

When a municipality adopts the retirement system, enrolling members are given prior service credit for permanent, full-time service as a policeman or fireman in the municipality prior to the adoption of the retirement system. The cost of such service is paid for by the

employer. Once the member has enrolled, both the member and his employer contribute annually for current service credit. As most enrollees would be members of the Public Employees' Retirement System, their contributions and service credit would be transferred to the Police and Firemen's Retirement System.

Periods of probationary employment often precede permanent appointment of policemen and firemen. The System recommends immediate enrollment of policemen and firemen, but enrollment is optional during this "trial period" of probation. Once a member has enrolled, he must immediately decide whether or not he wishes to purchase credit for his probationary employment, if such probationary period preceded his enrollment in the System.

TRANSFER

A member who terminates employment with a municipality, but is appointed as a policeman or fireman with another New Jersey municipality which participates in the retirement system, may continue his membership without interruption, provided he did not terminate the membership by withdrawing the contributions credited thereto. Also, a member who transfers from the police department to the fire department of the same municipality may continue his original membership.

A member who accepts another public position which requires his participation in another New