Fountain Valley eyes fire changes

Fountain Valley officials are considering blending their fire department with Huntington Beach’s or asking the Orange County Fire Authority to take over their fire services, both moves that the city hopes could trim expenses.

City Manager Raymond Kromer said staff is analyzing the costs and benefits of allying with either Huntington Beach or the county. The city has cut spending in the last year and left some vacant positions unfilled, but Kromer said the ultimate decision would come down to residents’ needs.

“What we’re mainly concerned with is, what happens at your front door?” he said. “When you call for a paramedic, how long does it take to get there?”

Kromer said Fountain Valley had been considering a merge with Huntington Beach because the two fire departments crossed the city boundary hundreds of times a year. When neighboring Westminster began contracting with the county, though, officials decided to consider that option as well.

The authority, which oversees fire prevention in 22 of the county’s 34 cities as well as unincorporated areas, submitted a proposal at the city’s request in November. The proposal states that Fountain Valley could save anywhere from $280,000 to $1.9 million each year by choosing one of the county’s service options, which differ in the number of firefighters and vehicles used.

“We’ve presented the proposal to them, and they’ll have to go over it and see if it’s something they want to do, if it provides any savings for what they’re doing right now,” said Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion, a spokesman for the fire authority.

The Fountain Valley Fire Department consists of 43 employees, 40 of whom are career firefighters. The department operates out of two stations on Bushard and Newhope streets.

The city’s annual fire budget is $9.1 million; the county options would cost between $7.2 million and $8.8 million. The county predicts that with Fountain Valley’s overall budget increasing by an average of 5% each year, total savings could come to $7.1 million by 2015.