NEWPORT BEACH : At Long Last, New Firefighters Hired

Finally.

That’s the word buzzing around the city’s six fire stations these days.

Firefighters won’t have to work as much overtime as in the past because the city, after five long years of waiting, has hired four new recruits.

“It’s great,” said firefighter Ernie Miller, 35, who used to work 72 hours straight and an extra 24-hour shift every week. “We needed some new blood interjected into our system and they’ll free up time for me to spend with my family.”

The rookies completed training this week with instruction coming from paramedics, captains and engineers.

Three of them, John Testa, 29, of Dana Point, Alan Baker, 22, of Anaheim and Dave Stevens, 26, of Santa Monica, said they tried finding a job for three years before finally landing the Newport Beach positions. The fourth recruit, Dennis Edwards, 31, of Anaheim, said he looked for four years.

Their arrival alleviates current firefighters’ workloads and fills vacancies that were created through attrition.

The Fire Department has lost 13 firefighters in the last five years, four in 1991, because of retirements, and wasn’t able to fill the jobs because of the city’s budgetary woes.

“We were short so many people that the guys were being forced to work almost every day, especially during this last year,” Capt. Randy Scheerer said. “They are ready for someone to take the pressure off.”

Officials noted that a regular work schedule for a Newport Beach firefighter consists of three 24-hour shifts a week, staggered every other day.

“There was so much firefighter overtime just filling the vacancies that no one wanted to cover vacations. That created dissatisfaction with employees,” Fire Chief Timothy D. Riley said, adding that he was frustrated knowing that hiring four people would be less costly than paying all the overtime. “But we had to wait for the big budget picture.”

More than 800 candidates applied for the four positions six months ago.

Physical agility tests, written examinations, dozens of interviews and a 100-yard swim in the ocean narrowed the competition.

Almost all the applicants had graduated from a three-month-long firefighting academy and were reserve firefighters or volunteers in other fire departments.

“Once you’re here, it’s all worth it,” Stevens said. “And, I’m not going anywhere from here.”

“Newport has pretty much become a destination department,” Scheerer said. “We always get a good turnout because it’s such a desirable place to work.”

The four new firefighters will receive badges today and report to work this weekend.

“I’ve been smiling all week,” Stevens said. “I’m set for the rest of my life now.”

Paramedic Jim Edgar said the entire department is “excited to have rookies again, and these guys are bubbling with enthusiasm.”

“It feels like the night before Christmas when I was a little kid waiting for Santa to come,” Edwards said.