Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue: 3.38% a Year, and No COLA
Fort Lauderdale firefighters accrue at 3.38% a year — the highest straight multiplier of any department on this site — and reach the maximum in exactly 25 years. Two things are commonly gotten wrong: the tier cutoff is 2014, not 2016, and the COLA was repealed in 2008. If you retired or became eligible after that, you have no cost-of-living increase at all.
Reviewed October 2026. Every figure below is sourced to a named plan document with its date, listed at the end of this page.
Two things people get wrong about this plan
The tier cutoff is October 1, 2014, not 2016. The 2026 Summary Plan Description contains no reference to any 2016 hire-date tier for firefighters. If someone has told you your benefits turn on a 2016 date, they are describing a different department.
Your multiplier does not change by tier. Every member accrues at 3.38%. What changes with your hire date is the years of service you need to reach normal retirement — 20 years if you were hired on or before September 30, 2014, and 25 years if you were hired after — plus how your DROP is prorated. The formula itself is the same.
Which plan you are actually in
Your plan is the City of Fort Lauderdale Police and Firefighters' Retirement System.
| Plan type | A single combined plan for sworn police officers and firefighters. General, non-sworn city employees are in FRS; sworn police and fire are not. |
|---|---|
| Codified at | City of Fort Lauderdale Code, Chapter 20, Article IV, Division 3. |
| Statutory framework | Also governed by Florida Statutes Chapters 112, 175 and 185 — a Chapter 175 (fire) and 185 (police) local law plan implemented by city ordinance. |
| Share plan | A separate Firefighters' Supplemental Share Plan exists under Chapter 175, effective October 1, 2005, at Code Section 20-136. It is a real part of your retirement in addition to the pension, and its terms are not covered on this page. |
| Last amended | Ordinance No. C-23-47. Its adoption date is not stated in any source we could reach. |
What the plan documents say
| Provision | What it says |
|---|---|
| Benefit multiplier | 3.38% × average final compensation × years of creditable service. Uniform across all tiers.Source: SPD 2026 Ch. 6; 2025 Valuation |
| Maximum | 84.5% for firefighters (81% for police). Note that 84.5 divided by 3.38 is exactly 25 — you reach the cap at 25 years of service. But see the conflict below about whether this is automatic.Source: SPD 2026; 2025 Valuation |
| Vesting | 10 years. Under 10 years, you get a refund of your member contributions only. A vested deferred benefit is payable at the earlier of age 55 or the age-47 / 20-year point.Source: SPD 2026 Ch. 6 |
| Average final compensation | The average of your highest 2 years of credited service. Important caveat: this comes only from the actuarial valuation. The SPD uses four different phrases for this concept and never defines any of them.Source: 2025 Valuation only |
| Member contribution | 10% of earnings as of October 1, 2018, dropping to 1% once you hit the maximum accrual.Source: SPD 2026 Ch. 6 |
| COLA | Repealed July 15, 2008. Members who retired or were eligible to retire before that date may still receive a future increase under certain conditions. Everyone else has none.Source: SPD 2026 |
| Long-service add-ons | Firefighters who became members on or before December 10, 1993 get an additional 2 percentage points above the cap. Firefighters with 25 or more years as of October 1, 2002 are capped at 91.26%.Source: SPD 2026; 2025 Valuation |
The two firefighter tiers — split at October 1, 2014
Tier 1 — hired on or before September 30, 2014
Normal retirement: the earlier of 20 years of creditable service, or age 55 with 10 or more years.
Multiplier: 3.38%. Vesting: 10 years. Maximum: 84.5%.
Contribution during DROP: 1.75% of salary.
Tier 2 — hired on or after October 1, 2014
Normal retirement: the earlier of 25 years of creditable service, or age 55 with 10 or more years.
Multiplier: 3.38% — the same. Vesting: 10 years. Maximum: 84.5%.
Contribution during DROP: 10% up to 25 years, then 1.50%.
DROP: prorated, not to exceed 32 years of service.
Your DROP, and the BAC-DROP alternative
| Standard DROP maximum | 96 months (8 years), available on reaching normal retirement. |
|---|---|
| BAC-DROP alternative | A Benefit Actuarially Calculated DROP of up to 36 months, taken as a lump sum. You cannot elect both the standard DROP and the BAC-DROP — it is one or the other, and that is a real planning decision rather than a formality. |
| Interest, first 60 months | 6% simple interest per year. |
| Interest, month 61 onward | The plan's net rate of return, floored at 3% and capped at 6%. |
| Distribution options | A lump sum, a rollover to an eligible recipient, or quarterly distributions under Board rules. |
| Self-directed DROP | Police only. The plan allows police members to elect a self-directed DROP regardless of rank, up to 120 months for officers and sergeants. It is not available to firefighters. |
| Contributions during DROP | Not refunded. Tier 1 pays 1.75% of salary; Tier 2 pays 10% up to 25 years and then 1.50%. |
Where your own plan documents disagree
This is the part no other page will tell you. In researching this plan I read the Summary Plan Description, the audited financial statements, the actuarial valuation and the collective bargaining agreement side by side. On the following points they do not say the same thing, or they say nothing at all.
I am not going to guess at a number that decides when you can retire or how much you will have. Here is exactly what is unresolved, and exactly what to ask.
Is the 84.5% firefighter maximum automatic, or do you have to buy it?
The 2026 SPD presents 84.5% as simply the firefighter maximum, and says contributions drop to 1% “when a member attains the maximum accrual of 81% for Police and 84.5% for Fire.” The actuary's 2025 valuation says firefighters “may purchase” an increased maximum of 84.5%. Those are not the same thing, and the difference changes every retirement projection you will ever run. The SPD itself states that the Ordinance controls in any conflict — so this needs to be read off the ordinance, not either summary.
The DROP proration rule is stated two different ways
The actuarial valuation says every month you delay DROP entry past 23.96 years of service cuts your 96-month maximum by one month. The SPD, for post-2014 hires, says participation is “prorated to not to exceed 32 years of service.” These may be the same mechanic described differently, or they may apply to different tiers. Confirm which applies to you before you pick an entry date.
Average final compensation is defined only by the actuary
The 2-year averaging period comes from the actuarial valuation alone. The SPD uses four different phrases — “average monthly earnings,” “average final earnings,” “final average earnings,” “average monthly compensation” — and never defines any of them. You want the ordinance's definition, including whether overtime and unused leave count.
The controlling ordinance text was not machine-readable
Everything on this page is verified from two independent primary sources — the plan's own SPD and its actuary's valuation — but not read directly off the controlling ordinance, which the SPD says governs in any conflict. Ask the plan office to email you the codified Division 3.
457(b) eligibility for sworn personnel is not stated
The City's 457(b) FAQ names both providers but never says who is eligible, never mentions police or firefighters or bargaining units, and carries no date.
Your 457(b)
MissionSquare and Nationwide Retirement Solutions. Pre-tax, Roth 457 and Roth IRA options are listed, with age-50 catch-up permitted. The page is undated and does not state who is eligible — confirm that both providers are open to sworn fire personnel.
Your 457(b) is separate from your pension and separate from your DROP. A governmental 457(b) has one feature worth knowing: distributions after you separate from service are not subject to the 10% early distribution penalty, regardless of your age. That is unusual, it does not apply to a 401(k) or an IRA in the same way, and it can matter a great deal to a firefighter who retires in their forties or fifties. More on governmental 457(b) rules.
What to ask, and who to ask
Contact the Police and Firefighters' Retirement System:
- Administrator: Lynn Wenguer
- Contact page: ftlaudpfpension.com/contact-us
Questions worth asking in writing
Ask for answers by email rather than over the phone. You want a record, and whoever helps you plan later will want to read it.
- Is the 84.5% firefighter maximum automatic, or must it be purchased? The SPD and the valuation say different things.
- What is the adoption and effective date of Ordinance No. C-23-47, and can you email me the codified Division 3?
- Which DROP proration rule applies to me — one month lost per month past 23.96 years, or capped at 32 years of service?
- How is average final compensation defined in the ordinance, and does overtime or unused leave count?
- Are both 457(b) providers open to sworn fire personnel?
- What are the terms of the Firefighters' Supplemental Share Plan?
Common questions
What is the Fort Lauderdale firefighter pension multiplier?
3.38% of average final compensation per year of creditable service, uniform across both tiers. The firefighter maximum is 84.5%, which you reach at exactly 25 years of service.
When can a Fort Lauderdale firefighter retire?
If you were hired on or before September 30, 2014, at the earlier of 20 years of creditable service or age 55 with at least 10 years. If you were hired on or after October 1, 2014, at the earlier of 25 years or age 55 with at least 10 years.
Do Fort Lauderdale firefighters get a COLA?
Not if you retired or became eligible to retire after July 15, 2008, when the COLA was repealed. Members who retired or were eligible before that date may still receive a future increase under certain conditions. This is easy to get wrong from older sources.
How does interest work on the Fort Lauderdale DROP?
6% simple interest per year for the first 60 months. From month 61 onward, the plan's net rate of return with a 3% floor and a 6% cap.
What is the BAC-DROP?
The Benefit Actuarially Calculated DROP, an alternative of up to 36 months taken as a lump sum. You cannot elect both the BAC-DROP and the standard 96-month DROP, so it is a genuine either-or decision.
Can Fort Lauderdale firefighters use the self-directed DROP?
No. The self-directed DROP is available to police members only, up to 120 months for officers and sergeants. Firefighters are not eligible for it.
Are Fort Lauderdale firefighters in FRS?
No. General, non-sworn city employees are in the Florida Retirement System. Sworn police officers and firefighters are in the City of Fort Lauderdale Police and Firefighters' Retirement System, a local ordinance plan.
Sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of the following. Where two of them disagree, the page says so rather than picking one.
- Fort Lauderdale Police & Firefighters' Retirement System, 2026 Summary Plan Description — published January 2026; content current through December 2025
- 2025 Actuarial Valuation — valuation date October 1, 2025
- City of Fort Lauderdale Code, Chapter 20, Article IV, Division 3 — current code
- City of Fort Lauderdale 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan FAQ — undated
This material is for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not individualized investment, insurance, legal, tax or pension advice, and it is not a recommendation.
Pension plan provisions, city ordinances, collective bargaining agreements, Florida law and federal tax law all change. Figures on this page are drawn from the plan documents listed above as of their stated dates and may not reflect the current terms of your plan.
Members should verify their own plan provisions, tier, eligibility, benefit calculation, DROP terms and deadlines directly with the Police and Firefighters' Retirement System before acting on anything.
Mark Buckley is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Fort Lauderdale municipal government, City of Fort Lauderdale Police and Firefighters' Retirement System, or any of its administrators or boards.
Tax consequences vary by individual circumstances. Consult an appropriate tax professional regarding individual tax matters.
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