Calif. agency looks to retain medics
Irvine leaders help design proposal to maintain cost savings while keeping team at fire station
By Sean Emery
The Orange County Register
IRVINE, Calif. — City leaders angered by Orange County Fire Authority budget cuts removing a two-person medic van from a station near the Great Park have helped craft an alternative plan that would retain paramedic services in the area.
OCFA leaders, who a month ago outlined $1 million in Irvine service cuts while slicing $3.3 million out of the agency's overall budget, are now considering a proposal to save one of the targeted paramedic positions and retain emergency coverage by adding them to a three-member fire engine crew.
"We wanted to have the paramedic services restored," Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang said. "They will be on a fire engine and responding, so we won't be losing any coverage."
To keep the Irvine paramedic position, OCFA leaders would have to move an administrative captain assigned to Irvine into a vacant field captain position somewhere else in the organization's coverage area, Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion said. OCFA would also leave unfilled three administrative positions that will soon open because of retirements.
The Irvine station adjacent the Great Park was targeted for cuts because of its low-call volume, said Doug Davert, OCFA board of directors chairman.
"It was frankly an over-deployment of resources," Davert said.
Kang argued that the original cuts would significantly affect Irvine. Kang had previously alleged that he wasn't consulted about the cuts before the board vote, although OCFA officials indicated that they had informed Irvine Police Chief David Maggard and City Manager Sean Joyce.
The alternative plan came out of a series of meetings between top Irvine officials and OCFA staff.
It includes the same amount of cost savings — about $1 million — but retains a full paramedic team at the Irvine station, according to OCFA staff reports.
Doing away with one paramedic position and the medic van is expected to save $500,000, with a temporary freeze on the administrative captain position adding another $200,000 in cost savings and freezing the three administrative positions at OCFA adding in $300,000 in savings.
"I think it is a good compromise," Davert said.
An executive committee of the OCFA board of directors has already signed off on the plan, which is expected to come before the full board for final approval May 27.
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