Supervisors Cut Fire Department Jobs

In a move to save the county up to $1 million and eliminate duplication of services, supervisors Tuesday cut eight jobs from the Ventura County Fire Department.

The board stripped the department of its duties inspecting hazardous materials and transferred them to the Environmental Health Division.

The board eliminated: one hazardous materials specialist; one fire prevention officer III; five fire prevention officer II positions; two office assistants; and a data entry operator. Not all of the positions cut were full-time jobs.

Assistant Chief Robert Roper argued that fire prevention is a “best buy” and that money for it is well-spent.

“If we keep going with fire prevention, we should be able to curb our costs of fire suppression,” he said.

The consolidation was opposed by the Ventura County Firefighters Assn., which argued that the county would not save money after it hired and trained new people in the Environmental Health Division to do what trained employees are already doing in the Fire Department.

But supervisors said the cuts, which will be achieved by layoffs and attrition, are needed to reduce the cost of government.

Hazardous-waste inspectors for the Environmental Health Division are paid less than firefighters performing similar duties, officials said.