Fire Union Wrong About Volunteers

* Re “O.C. Fire Union Fights Volunteer System,” July 11: In the union’s self-serving zeal to weaken volunteer fire service in Orange County, it made comments that were factually unsubstantiated and purposely deceptive. In reality, 18 years of documented experience and hundreds of thousands of calls demonstrate that Orange County Fire Authority volunteer firefighters work very effectively with career firefighters to deliver high-quality emergency service.

Injury statistics over the same period demonstrate their exceptional safety record as well. Volunteer training in Orange County far exceeds state requirements.

Because the majority of fire calls are medically related, the vast majority of volunteers are in fact emergency medical technicians. Many are professional ambulance drivers. Some are paramedics. Some are career firefighters with other departments.

The reality is Orange County Fire Authority volunteers save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars each year.

By sustaining a combination of career and volunteer personnel, the management of the Orange County Fire Authority provides the communities it serves with superior service at reasonable cost.

The union’s transparent attempt to gain economic advantage by weakening the volunteer system would both reduce service and increase taxes in Orange County.

ROBERT DROBISH

Villa Park