LOS ALAMITOS : City Backs Creation of Fire District

The City Council has agreed to support the formation of a countywide firefighting district that would give its member cities a greater voice in its operation.

Los Alamitos is one of 16 cities that contract with the county for fire services. All of those cities have backed the creation of an Orange County Fire Protection District to replace the existing system.

The proposal now moves to the Local Agency Formation Commission, a regional planning agency. If the commission approves the plan for the fire district, it will advance to the Board of Supervisors. The cities would then consider it for final approval.

The existing Orange County Fire Department, created in 1980, has grown to an extent that it can no longer serve its cities and other areas equitably, critics say. During the 12 years since the department was formed, its yearly budget has ballooned fourfold to $102.7 million. The department today serves 800,000 residents living in an area of about 525 square miles, including unincorporated areas.

Because of the department’s growth, some cities are paying more than others in relation to the services they receive.

The cities’ main criticism, however, is that the Fire Department is governed solely by the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

If the fire protection district is formed, member cities would oversee it and set its policies. That would enable the cities to monitor costs to determine whether each is paying a fair amount for the level of services it receives.

In Los Alamitos, 9.4% of the city’s property taxes are spent for the city’s share of the Fire Department. This year, that has amounted to about $719,000, City Manager Robert C. Dunek said.

If the fire protection district is created, some cities’ budgets for fire services would climb and others’ would shrink or remain the same. Los Alamitos’ would be expected to rise “substantially,” although a specific cost projection will not be made until a fiscal study is completed, Dunek said.

Dunek added, however, that the city’s cost for fire services is expected to rise even if the existing structure remains. The Fire Department is operating on a balanced budget, but as new cities are added--two newly incorporated cities have joined in recent months--costs are expected to increase dramatically, he said.