Fire Authority Cancels 60 Open Houses

The Orange County Fire Authority has canceled the annual open house at its 60 stations, citing concerns that firefighters unhappy with their labor contract might picket the popular event.

The open house, which in the past has attracted thousands of adults and children to neighborhood fire stations, was scheduled for Oct. 12 and was to coincide with National Fire Prevention Week.

“This was a day we were supposed to open our doors to the community and spend time talking about fire safety,” said Capt. Scott Brown of the Fire Authority, which provides service to about 1 million Orange County residents.

“It was a difficult decision,” Brown said Saturday. “But we felt the message we are attempting to convey to the public would be lost . . . if it became focused on the labor issues.”

The authority and the Orange County Professional Assn., the firefighters’ union, have been battling over a new contract for the agency’s 700 full-time firefighters for months. The firefighters complain that they are paid about 30% that of their colleagues in Los Angeles County. But fire officials said a lingering budget deficit prevents them from offering raises.

The Fire Authority’s board of directors in July unilaterally imposed a new contract on the firefighters that provided no pay raise but increased benefits.

Unhappy with the action, hundreds of firefighters picketed outside Anaheim Stadium during a Labor Day baseball game. The association also has distributed fliers and brought their case to city councils.

Though no formal job action at the open house has been announced, Brown said the authority’s board of directors decided to avoid any potential problems by canceling the event.

“They certainly have a right to express their point of view,” he said. “But we don’t feel it is fair to the community to put them through that.”

At past open houses, firefighters have held demonstrations such as emergency rappelling and automobile extrication, displayed fire apparatus and provided safety lessons.

John Latta, vice president of the association, called the cancellation an overreaction.

“We were basically shocked to hear that they did this,” Latta said. “It’s unfortunate because this is something that the public really looked forward to.”

Latta denied that the group had planned to picket the fire stations, but acknowledged that off-duty firefighters would have been present to pass out pamphlets detailing the union’s position.