Mississippi Fire Chiefs, Firefighters Raise Concerns Over Tier 5 Retirement Changes

Leaders of the Mississippi Fire Chiefs Association and the Mississippi Fire Fighters Association are voicing strong concerns over recent changes to the state’s retirement system, warning that new provisions under Tier 5 could have long-term negative impacts on first responders.

Earlier this year, the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) Board of Trustees recommended — and the Mississippi Legislature approved — the creation of a new Tier 5 retirement plan, which was subsequently signed into law by Gov. Tate Reeves. The reform comes as part of an effort to ensure the financial stability of the state’s retirement system amid rising costs and projected shortfalls.

What Tier 5 Means for Mississippi Workers

Under the new Tier 5 system, which applies to employees hired on or after March 1, 2026, public workers will face different retirement thresholds compared to those in earlier tiers. Among the key changes are:

• 35 years of service required for full retirement benefits, regardless of age.
• A higher employee contribution rate than some previous tiers.
• Adjustments designed to preserve the long-term solvency of the PERS system.

Supporters argue that these changes were necessary to keep the system sustainable for future generations. However, first responder organizations say the longer service requirement will have serious consequences for firefighters and law enforcement officers whose careers are uniquely demanding.

Firefighters Push Back on 35-Year Requirement

In a joint statement, Mississippi Fire Chiefs Association President Kyle Hill and Mississippi Fire Fighters Association President Mark Whiteside said the groups “recognize and appreciate the enormous responsibility and difficult decisions involved in managing such a large financial system” but cautioned that extending retirement to 35 years is unrealistic for frontline emergency personnel.

“For several years, we have urged lawmakers to recognize the physical and mental toll that firefighting takes,” the statement said. “To ask our first responders to endure those demands for 35 years is not a reasonable request.”

The associations noted they previously proposed a compromise option that would allow firefighters and law enforcement officers to earn one year of additional service credit for every four years worked, but the idea failed to gain legislative support.

The Toll on First Responders

Fire service leaders pointed to multiple laws passed in recent years that already acknowledge the unique strains faced by first responders:

• The Mississippi First Responders Health and Safety Act (SB 2835, 2019) provided cancer coverage protections.
• Premium pay was approved during the COVID-19 pandemic for first responders due to increased risks.
• Most recently, the First Responder PTSD and Suicide Prevention Task Force (HB 1268, 2025) was created to address the rising mental health challenges in emergency services.

“These actions show that the State of Mississippi already recognizes the dangers and stresses our first responders face,” the statement read. “The same reasoning should apply to retirement.”

Comparisons to Neighboring States

Firefighter retirement policies in other Southern states often provide earlier exit options:

• Alabama: Firefighters and state police can retire at age 56 with 10+ years of service.
• Louisiana: Retirement eligibility begins as early as 25 years of service at any age.
• Tennessee: As of 2024, police, firefighters, and EMTs may retire with 25 years of creditable service, regardless of age.

By contrast, Mississippi’s new 35-year requirement would leave firefighters working longer than many of their peers in neighboring states.

Looking Ahead to 2026 Session

The Fire Chiefs and Fire Fighters Associations are calling on state lawmakers to revisit the policy in the 2026 Legislative Session. They say they will again advocate for service credit adjustments that better reflect the risks of firefighting.

“We thank our leaders for their past willingness to support the first responder community,” Hill and Whiteside said. “But we urge them now to reconsider this retirement policy so that Mississippi firefighters are not asked to give more years of their health and lives than is reasonable.”