Top-Paid Fire Workers Earned $120,000-Plus

The 25 highest-paid officials at the Orange County Fire Authority earned at least $120,000 last year, with some firefighters receiving $20,000 or more in overtime for battling forest fires and other disasters across the nation, records released Monday show.

Kenneth W. Mac Leod, the deputy director of fire services, had the highest total compensation, at $151,053, followed by Fire Chief Larry J. Holms, at $146,498.

Although their pay is slightly higher than what officials of city fire departments earn, Holms and Mac Leod run a much larger operation that serves nearly 20 communities from Buena Park to San Clemente.

The Fire Authority’s pay records were provided in response to a Times request under the California Public Records Act.

The interest in how much public employees are paid compared to the private sector began two months ago when a court ordered Huntington Beach to release the salaries of its 25 highest-paid employees.

Fire Authority records indicate that a handful of battalion chiefs earned $20,000 to $30,000 each in overtime by working on special disaster assignments, including the rescue effort at the bombed Oklahoma City federal building. In a few cases, the extra pay boosted their base salaries up to 40%.

Capt. Dan Young said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Forest Service and other government agencies reimburse the Fire Authority for the salaries of firefighters on special duty. These agencies also help the authority cover any overtime costs created when the firefighters are out of the county, he said.