Firefighting in Orange County – Part Two, Building an Independent Fire Dept

By Edward Ring
06/25/2020
On July 1 the City of Placentia will begin to operate a fire department independent of the Orange County Fire Authority. The motivation for the Placentia’s City Council to take this step was to provide equal or greater service at a lower cost. In this report, those cost savings will be summarized. The figures were...

TAGS: California public sector pay, Orange County Fire Authority, pensions, placentia, public pensions, Unions

Firefighting in Orange County – Part One, Firefighter Pay and Benefits

By Edward Ring
06/17/2020
In June 2019 the City of Placentia, in a 3-1 council vote, decided to leave the Orange County Fire Authority and build their own fire department. The reasons for this decision, and the means to accomplish it, will be explored in greater detail in a follow-up article. But the decision came down to this: a majority...

TAGS: firefighters, orange county, Orange County Fire Authority, pensions, placentia, Unions

Orange County Fire Authority’s Hefty Overtime Bill a Bad Deal for Irvine Taxpayers

By Marc Joffe
01/31/2017
Irvine’s City Council has directed city staff to explore the possibility of leaving the Orange County Fire Authority in 2020. The Council wants to find a more cost effective way to provide fire protection services to city residents. If Irvine can find an alternative that constrains firefighter compensation – especially overtime pay– it may be on the right track....

TAGS: irvine, Orange County Fire Authority