ANAHEIM : Fire Dispatchers’ Benefits May Be Cut

Fire department dispatchers for five north Orange County cities are about to change employers, a change that could reduce their benefits.

At the end of June 30, the 17 dispatchers for North Net, the alliance of the Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove and Orange fire departments, will be laid off by the city of Orange, their current employer.

Immediately they will become the responsibility of Anaheim, although that city is considering having a private, outside firm become their direct employer. The net cities would then pay the firm for the dispatchers’ services.

The dispatchers say that if they are transferred to the private firm, they will be removed from the state municipal employee retirement system, forced to pay the Social Security tax that private sector employees pay and lose five vacation days a year.

Their union spokesman said that will cause the best dispatchers to leave the network for other cities.

“Why would they stay in Anaheim for this kind of money when they could go to Los Angeles or anywhere and make a lot more?” said Larry Lykins, spokesman for the Orange County Employees Assn.

The Anaheim City Council will make the final decision April 12.

Anaheim Fire Chief Jeffrey Bowman said: “I’m preparing a study that will cover the merits of both sides. Don’t even know yet which system we are going to recommend.”

Moving the dispatchers from Orange to Anaheim is being done primarily to keep North Net’s communication center operating in case of a major flood, Bowman said.

The center is currently located in the basement of an Orange Fire Department building next to the Santa Ana River. When Anaheim takes over, the dispatchers will be moved to a room inside Anaheim City Hall.

“Ever since I have been here, I have been asking this question: ‘Why would you put a fire dispatch center in the basement of a building next to the Santa Ana River?’ ” Bowman said. “If there had ever been a flood, we would have been out of business.”