The purpose of this act is to provide an orderly means whereby police and firemen employed by participating employers and who have attained retirement age or who have become disabled as herein set forth may be retired from active service without prejudice and without inflicting a hardship on the employees retired and to enable such employees to accumulate reserves for themselves and their dependents to provide for old age, disability, death and termination of employment, and for the purpose of effecting economy and efficiency in the administration of governmental affairs.