Fire-Pay Revamp Just a Money Grab

* The article “Paid-Call Firefighters Put Out” (Sept. 11) was the first notification regarding a restructuring of the paid-call firefighters system by the Orange County Fire Authority.

Focusing the revamping of the system on federal wage and hour laws is unfounded. The current program could be structured to meet the partial schedule guidelines of federal law in the same manner as does private industry.

The contention by the authority that the proposed “reserve” program is comparable to the police and sheriff reserve programs is also faulty. Those programs are designed to augment the regular force for scheduled events with predetermined schedules, not in responses to immediate needs, driven by unplanned or uncontrolled events.

The authority admits it cannot fill manpower requirements today. If it is having problems recruiting qualified talent into the current paid-call system, what makes them think that a virtual no-pay program will attract more personnel?

I can picture a person leaving a $15- to $20-an-hour job to respond to a wild-land fire for $2.70 an hour.

The union contends that the paid-call firefighters are not adequately trained. Understand that all paid-call firefighters attended the fire academy, and the majority are EMT and first-responder qualified. There have been no examples offered that the paid-call system has put anyone in jeopardy over its 30-year history.

The proposed additional training will be a benefit to all firefighters, but what good will it be to the paid-call personnel if they cannot afford to apply it?

This poorly conceived change is prearranged to fail, leading to degraded services and higher risks to life and property for the citizens of Orange County.

The authority will [cope with] manpower shortages with overtime for full-time firefighters at significantly higher cost and ultimately will be driven to add higher-priced permanent staffing. The Orange County Fire Authority and the Professional Firefighter Assn. are orchestrating a grab for more money.

THOMAS J. NULTY

Brea