(2) why firefighters’ pensions are payable from age 55 under the 1992 scheme; and if she will make a statement.
The Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 1992 originates from 1948 when the role of a firefighter was restricted to firefighting duties and it was considered appropriate because of the risks of the job to have a minimum pension age of 50 with 25 or more years’ service and a compulsory retirement age of 55. However, a number of factors including: the extension of the role of a firefighter to cover, for example, fire safety; improved personal protective equipment and clothing; a better understanding of risk management; and good occupational health services, a normal retirement age of 60 is now justified as a firefighter’s life expectancy is now the same as that of the wider population.