Retired Member's Association of the NYC Fire Dept.

REMEMBERING THE TELEPHONE CO. FIRE..

FIRE GOES TO A 5th...

CLICK TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE FEBRUARY 27th, 1975 TELEPHONE COMPANY FIRE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWmx-_MaU3Y

SIZE-UP:

The fire was at the New York Telephone Company’s main switching centers, housed in an 11-story building constructed in 1924. It started in a large cable vault located in the cellar that contained 488 telephone cables, with anywhere from 400 to 2,700 pairs of lines and covered in either lead or polyethylene.

FF DAN NOONAN RECALLS:

Firefighters encountered numerous structural obstacles when battling the fire, including a partition in the building made of steel and wire glass used to protect the switching equipment from dust, as well as windows made of wire glass in heavy metal frames that were sealed shut and covered in sheets of Lexan plastic or metal screens. On top of that, heavy, acrid smoke poured from the building and around 30,000 square feet on each floor was covered in wires that glowed and radiated tremendous heat. “It was hard to find the exact location of the fire due to the thick smoke,” retired Firefighter Dan Noonan, Ladder 3, said. “There was zero visibility.”

FINAL THOUGHTS:

The fire knocked out phone service, including 911, to more than 173,000 homes and businesses. It escalated to five alarms, and 700 firefighters from 72 units rotated to fight the fire for more than 16 hours before it was placed under control just before 5 p.m. Nearly 300 of those firefighters were injured. While no firefighters were killed at the fire, many suffered long-term health effects from their exposure to the smoke.

LT. WILBUR HUTCHINS HAS PASSED AWAY (4/20/22)

101 Years Old

Wilbur & Daisy

Our Long Term RMA Board Member Wilbur Hutchins has passed on after 101 years of Life. He was full of Life right up until the end. We will all miss him.

See him pictured above at his

100th Birthday Celebration.

Wilbur & Daisy

Wilbur at his "100th" with Wife Daisy

Helped Along

Wilbur & Daisy

Through the Years

Wilbur was always the one helping others. Here others help Wilbur

for a change.

Through the Years

Going Strong at 94

Through the Years

Wilbur was a mainstay at our meetings. He was given the floor to express his concerns over current events that affected our Pensions and Health Care and of course celebrate another birthday.

Going Strong at 94

Wilbur at his 94th Birthday Celebration

Good-bye Lieu

Going Strong at 94

There are no words that can express what Wilbur meant to us all.

Rest in Peace, Wilbur Hutchins, till we meet again...

New information and updates regarding the NYC Medicare Advantage Plus Plan:

The NYC Medicare Advantage Plus Plan is not being implemented on April 1, 2022. Retirees do not need to opt out of the Medicare Advantage Plus Program in order to remain in Senior Care or their current plan on April 1. All retirees will remain in their current plans until further notice. We will post updates for retirees as we have more information. For additional information, you can call the special Alliance call center at 1-833-325-1190, Monday to Friday,

8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Find out more

LATEST COVID INFO: GET BOOSTED!

Details Below:

[FREE COVID TEST KITS>CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR COVID PAGE< ]

FDNY-Logo Missing BHS FDNY - COVID-19 & FLU Vaccines

Battle Omicron by Boosting Now

FDNY's Moderna Booster appears to provide the highest level of protection from Covid-19. Breakthrough infections do occur but, those boosted report only mild illness. Nearly everyone hospitalized or who has died has NOT been vaccinated.

All active members must be fully vaccinated. Healthcare workers in NYS are now required to be boosted. While a booster is not yet required for FDNY, it is the prudent medical choice.

The Moderna booster is available at FDNY to all adults (active, retired or family members):

2 months after receipt of the J&J Jansen vaccine.
5 months after receipt of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
If you are immunosupressed (cancer, autoimmune disease, on certain medications such as oral steroids, methotrexate, Humira, Remicaid, etc.), you only need to wait 2 months from your last Moderna or Pfizer shot.
If you are recovering from COVID-19, you only need to wait 10 days from onset or 90 days if you were treated with monoclonal antibodies.

FDNY still offers Moderna vaccine for adults not yet fully vaccinated in need of 1st or 2nd dose. At your option, the Flu vaccine can be given on the same day.

FDNY sites schedule – NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED (WALK-INS ONLY)

Available at all locations
9 Metrotech (Auditorium) OPEN 10am to 4pm
Saturday and Sunday - 9 Metrotech ONLY, Open 10am-4pm

Remember your best defense is vaccination, booster, flu shot, masks during normal encounters and respirators (half-face elastomeric or

N-95) during patient care.

You Can Now Wait Until 72 To Take Required Minimum Distributions. But Should You?

The Secure Act increased the required minimum distribution (RMD) age from 70 1/2 to 72, marking the first change to the RMD age since first becoming law in 1986. The age increase will only apply to anyone born on or after July 1, 1949. Now that some taxpayers will be able to defer distributions from retirement accounts until age 72, should they? It turns out, tax-deferred growth isn’t always a no-brainer.

First, as a practical matter, many retirees can’t actually afford to hold off on using their retirement savings until they’re 72. Even for those who can wait until they reach RMD age, it might not make sense to. The ‘right’ withdrawal strategy will depend on multiple factors, which change over time along with the laws, tax code, and the individual’s personal financial situation.

Here are some of the important considerations to discuss with your financial and tax advisor as you draft a retirement income strategy.

Taking advantage of low tax brackets

Especially for investors who have already retired, tax planning can really pay off. If you’ve already retired and don’t need income from retirement accounts before age 72, you could be living off funds from a taxable brokerage account and perhaps Social Security, too. Depending on your finances, this could land you in some of the lowest tax brackets.

In 2020, married couples filing jointly are in the 12% marginal tax bracket until $80,250 of taxable income before progressing into the 22% rate on the next dollar of income. For couples with less than $80,000 in taxable income, they may pay no tax at all on long-term capital gains!

In this type of situation, it could be advantageous for taxpayers to consider accelerating the realization of income to ensure they’re able to take full advantage of a favorable tax bracket. With some planning, you could calculate how much to take from tax-deferred accounts to stay under the next marginal tax bracket increase (or whatever metric makes sense for your tax and financial situation).

MEDICARE PART B REIMBURSEMENT INFO

(REIMBURSEMENTS COMMENCED MONDAY MARCH 23rd, 2021, EITHER THRU A CHECK IN THE US MAIL OR THRU A DIRECT DEPOSIT INTO YOUR ACCOUNT.)

TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENT,

CLICK> https://www1.nyc.gov/site/olr/health/retiree/health-retiree-medb-irmaa.page

APRIL 2021 UPDATE:

Medicare Part B Reimbursements

Medicare Differential Payments were sent out by the NYC Office of Labor Relations (OLR) on or about Monday, March 22, 2021. These differential payments are only applicable to members on Medicare prior to 2016 who did not receive the full amount that they were entitled to.

The actual reimbursements for Medicare Part B will be sent to members in mid-April. If you have direct deposit for your pension check, it will be direct deposited. If you receive paper pension checks, you will be mailed a check.

Please refrain from contacting the NYC Office of Labor Relations until after you receive your Medicare Part B Reimbursements in mid-April.

Medicare Part B Reimbursements Incorrect Amounts

Retirees who believe they received the incorrect amount on their Reimbursement should submit the differential form along with the Social Security 1099s for the year(s) you feel you were shortchanged, using the Leapfile Website.

Form:
https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/olr/downloads/pdf/health/med-b-differential-form-2019.pdf

Leapfile Website (Select IRMAA/Differential, then upload the FORM and 1099s):

https://nycemployeebenefits.leapfile.net/

If you did NOT receive a Medicare Part B Reimbursement from the NYC Office of Labor Relations, it is probably because you have not yet submitted the Medicare Part B Reimbursement Application (along with a COPY of your Medicare Card). Alternatively, if you are not currently enrolled with the NYC Health Benefits / Medical Plan, you would not be eligible for the Part B Reimbursement.

If you have already uploaded the necessary Medicare Reimbursement Forms to OLR using the Leapfile Website, and/or if you have any follow up questions with the NYC Office of Labor Relations regarding your Medicare Part D Reimbursement, you can email healthbenefits@olr.nyc.gov.

~~~~

To all Retirees,

The following notice is to inform retirees on Medicare that your 2019 Standard Part B reimbursement from OLR (Office of Labor Relations) may not have been for the full amount you and/or spouse paid. This applies ONLY to those who were enrolled in Medicare PRIOR TO 2016. If you enrolled in Medicare in 2016 or later, the reimbursement amount

should have been accurate.

If affected, you will be required to fill out a Medicare Differential Form found in a link with this e mail. The reimbursement is scheduled for some time in the 1st quarter of 2021. Follow the instructions and return with the supporting paperwork stated in Section III of the form.

***SEE LINK FOR FORM BELOW ***

ALSO those recipients and/or spouse who are subject to IRMAA and were enrolled in Medicare prior to 2016 may not have received the full reimbursement for their standard Part B. IRMAA recipients do not need to file for the differential as long as they have submitted the IRMAA reimbursement form. When the IRMAA reimbursement is paid, (October 2020) the differential for the Standard Part B will be included. The form for IRMAA reimbursement is in the link below.

Note that if you had not filed for IRMAA reimbursement in the past but had paid IRMAA you can submit for 2018 and 2017 using the form below.

*** CONTINUE TO LINK BELOW ***

An explanation has been provided by OLR regarding this issue: As Part B premiums have increased, the amount of the increase has, at times, been more than what the social security COLA increase provided to some recipients. Had the full increase of the Part B premium been applied to all, a social security recipient could have had a net reduction in their monthly benefit.

Because of Medicare's "hold harmless” provision, the monthly increase to an individual's Part B premium could vary in order to avoid a reduction in that person's monthly Social Security benefit. This results in variable amounts being paid for Part B premiums that are specifically unique to each individual. The increase in Part B premiums could vary from $1 to $318 per person. Since, the City has no way of verifying what each person pays for their Medicare Part B premium, documentation of what an individual actually paid in Part B premiums is needed.

Medicare Part B reimbursements were issued for the calendar year 2019 for Medicare-eligible retirees and

Medicare-eligible dependents in April 2020.

Any retirees who were Medicare eligible on or after calendar year 2016 are eligible for $134.00 per month

(12 months= $1,608 per each eligible person).

They receive this amount automatically.

Any retirees who were Medicare eligible prior to the calendar year 2016 must complete the Medicare Part B differential Form (see below link) and provide SSA-1099 for the calendar year 2019. Those retirees who submit this form may receive an additional amount up to $300 under the Medicare Part B differential.

This payment will be issued in Spring 2021

>>>*CLICK HERE FOR THE UPDATED FORM FOR THIS YEAR'S ADDITIONAL PAYMENT OF $300.00 AND WHERE TO SEND IT*<<<

IT MUST BE SENT ELECTRONICALLY FOR

US MAIL IS NOT BEING ACCEPTED AT THIS TIME.

Due to the pandemic OLR’s offices were closed on March 17, 2020. Correspondence arriving after March 11 was not processed. Please review the following if you were impacted by this. You will have to resubmit forms and documentation electronically if you filed forms by U.S. Mail for the following:  2019 Medicare Part B Differential, or  2019 Medicare IRMAA reimbursement, or  Initial Enrollment for you or spouse in the Part B reimbursement plan Please visit the OLR website for instructions, step-by-step video and the needed forms to complete this task. OLR home page: healthbenefitshome (nyc.gov) Medicare Part B reimbursement information forms and links to submit via e mail. health-retiree-medb-irmaa (nyc.gov) Submitting instructions health-retiree-leapfile-instructions (nyc.gov) If you are submitting paperwork for future reimbursements such as 2020 Part B differential (Form will be available in April 2020) , IRMAA 2020, (Form not yet available) or initial Part B reimbursement enrollment, (Form is available on line) it is recommended to continue with the electronic filing unless instructed differently. Please monitor the OLR homepage for guidance.

******************************

VCF NEWS:

On July 29, 2019, the President signed into law The Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. The VCF Permanent Authorization Act extends the VCF’s claim filing deadline from December 18, 2020, to October 1, 2090, and appropriates such funds as may be necessary to pay all approved claims. The VCF recognizes that claimants will have many questions about) the impact of the legislation on their claims. The VCF is committed to processing claims without interruption and issuing full payments to those who received a reduced award. Additional details about the VCF Permanent Authorization Act can be found here.

Please check this website frequently for updates.

-FOR MORE ABOUT THE VCF GO TO OUR HEALTH CARE PAGE-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[click here>CATASTROPHIC INSURANCE CHECK-UP<click here]

About Us

Who We Are

Get Involved

We are Retired NYC Firefighters of all ranks. We meet five times per year at two locations; 901 Lakeville Road in New Hyde Park and 3051 Nostrand Ave in Brooklyn, NY. Through our Newsletter and this website we hope to keep you informed about your pensions.

Get Involved

Are you passionate about what we're doing? Let us know! We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our organization better for our members. We'll help you find a way to volunteer that best suits you. We're excited to have you join the team!

Thank You

Get Involved

Thank You

Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you. We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help

of supporters like you.

JOIN US THE OLD FASHION WAY :

HERE'S HOW TO JOIN:

RETIRED MEMBER'S ASSOCIATION, INC
Fire Department, City of New York
ORGANIZED JANUARY 1ST, 1946

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
We offer two types of Membership.

Life Membership- one time payment of $250.00 gives you a gold RMA Membership Card and our periodic newsletters.

Annual Membership-Annual dues of $25.00 gives you 1 year of membership with associated Card, and one year of issued Newsletters.
Once you have decided on
the type of Membership you desire,

download the PDF Application above,

fill out and send with your check
made payable to the RMA
and send via US Mail to:
The RMA
PO Box 1332

Baldwin, NY 11510

[Add Payment for the Lapel Pin(s) with your Dues Check]

(see Lapel Pin above-right)

Both Life and Annual Members will receive Critical Instant Updates as

long as New Member provides a credible E-mail Address.

Lapel Pin, pictured above available for sale: PRICE: $6.00 for one pin or two for $10.00

Welcome to The RMA.- Our next meeting: 6/28/22, 7:30pm NHP, NY

REMEMBERING THE TELEPHONE CO. FIRE..

FIRE GOES TO A 5th...

SIZE-UP:

FF DAN NOONAN RECALLS:

LT. WILBUR HUTCHINS HAS PASSED AWAY (4/20/22)

101 Years Old

Wilbur & Daisy

Wilbur & Daisy

Wilbur & Daisy

Wilbur & Daisy

Wilbur & Daisy

Helped Along

Wilbur & Daisy

Through the Years

Through the Years

Going Strong at 94

Through the Years

Going Strong at 94

Going Strong at 94

Going Strong at 94

Good-bye Lieu

Going Strong at 94

Going Strong at 94

New information and updates regarding the NYC Medicare Advantage Plus Plan:

LATEST COVID INFO: GET BOOSTED!

Details Below:

Bill Prohibits Dimunition of Health Care Benefits

TWO BILLS IN THE NYS ASSEMBLY WOULD PROTECT OUR HEALTH CARE

CLICK ON "FIND OUT MORE"

VCF UPDATE:

You Can Now Wait Until 72 To Take Required Minimum Distributions. But Should You?

Taking advantage of low tax brackets

NEW LOCATION AND PHONE NUMBER FOR FIRE PENSIONS

MEDICARE PART B REIMBURSEMENT INFO

About Us

Who We Are

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Get Involved

Thank You

Get Involved

Thank You

Download The 2022 RMA Application:

JOIN US THE OLD FASHION WAY :

HERE'S HOW TO JOIN: