The pension system that we enjoy today is due to a lot of work by the retirees of the fire department and the retirees of the police department. The two groups worked very hard getting the increases in benefit. The Birmingham Retired Firefighters Association is looking out for you and your surviving spouse by trying to make the pension fund better for present and future retirees. Our president has been present at every pension board meeting, with the exception of 5 meeting, for the last 21 years on his own time working to get some of the benefits that we now have. Since 1982 when Billy Gray was a member of the House of Representative our president has authored or co-authored most of the bills that was passed by the Legislature from 1982 to 2003. From the minimum pension bill ($400) to the present increase in the surviving spouse benefit, increasing it from 45 % of your final average salary (FAS) to 60 % of what the retiree was drawing at the time of his death, which includes any cost-of living benefit increases. Also, the increases in the multiplying factor from 2 % times years of service, (maximum of 60 % of FAS at 30 years to 2.25 % times years service with a maximum of 75 % of FAS at 33.3 years), to the present 2.5 % times years of service for a maximum of 75 % at 30 years. The retired firefighters spent many days in Montgomery and thousand of hours on the phone with the Jefferson County Legislators to get these bill passed. Some of the ones that worked the hardest and received the least were Billy Gray, Jack Brown, P.A. "Somkey" Rawlings, O.C. "Frog" Ingram, Gary Brown, Cleve Brittain, Bill Chaney, Henry Cork, Coy Glasgow, F.H. Griffin, Cabe Norris, Gene Wilkey, Johnny Harris, Marshall Page.

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The Birmingham Retired Firefighters Association will have their Annual Bar-B-Q on the 1st Saturday of JUNE each year at the Local Hall. This year it will be on Saturday, June 5th, 2004. A short meeting starts at 11:30AM and we will start serving at 12:00PM. The Local Hall will be open about 9:30AM and we will have the coffee making. Anyone wishing to bring some snacks are welcome to do so.

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The Birmingham Retired Firefighters Association will have their Annual Christmas Luncheon on the 1st Saturday of DECEMBER each year at the Local Hall. This year it will be Saturday, December 4th, 2004. A short meeting starts at 11:30AM and we will start serving at 12:00PM. The Local Hall will be open about 9:30AM and we will have the coffee making. Anyone wishing to bring some snacks are welcome to do so.

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     The Association gives two $1,000 Scholarships each year, by the luck of a drawing, to any child or grandchild of a retired firefighter that is a member of the Association and in "Good Standing" may sponsor his children or grandchildren . The applicant that applies must meet the requirements for the scholarship. If the firefighter member is deceased then the surviving spouse becomes the sponsor.