- Please note: This summary reflects the benefits for shift employees assigned to a 56-hour average duty week. For benefits information related to staff assignments (40-hour workweek), please refer to the OCPFA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). (Download PDF reader)
Orange County Professional Firefighters Association (OCPFA) Local 3631: This classification is represented by the OCPFA Local 3631. Please visit http://www.ocfirefighters.org for more information.
Base Salary Adjustments
: None scheduled through August 31, 2022.
Merit Salary Increases
: Employees are eligible for an initial merit salary increase (1 to 4 steps) on the first day of the pay period following completion of fifty-two (52) weeks of service, and thereafter annually based on their work performance and until they reach the top of their 12-step salary range.
Health Benefits: Pursuant to a Health Plan Agreement (Download PDF reader) (see link below), the Authority contributes to the OCPFA medical benefit trust fund for health insurance and other related benefits. Brown Insurance Services (BIS) is the administrator for these benefits. In 2022, BIS offers the following options for medical insurance: Kaiser, Anthem HMO, Anthem PPO and Anthem HMO. Vision insurance is provided through MES, and dental insurance is provided through DeltaCare HMO and Delta Dental DPO. Health Plan Agreement:
https://ocfa.org/Uploads/Transparency/OCFA%203631%20Health%20Plan%20Agreement.pdf (Download PDF reader)
(Please note: The Health Plan Agreement expired on 12/31/2021; however, the Agreement was extended via Side Letter Agreement through 12/31/2022. The 2021 contribution to the medical benefit trust fund will continue through 12/31/2022 ($2,199.49/month).
Retirement
: All regular OCFA employees are members of the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) - a defined benefit retirement program. Employees are enrolled in one of the following retirement formulas based on date of hire.
New Safety Members: Employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 without reciprocity are enrolled in the 2.7% at age 57 retirement formula (Plan V). The compensation limit for PEPRA members for 2022 is $161,969 (non-Social Security Participants).
For more information about OCERS retirement, please visit: http://www.ocers.org.
For more information about reciprocity, please visit: https://www.ocers.org/post/reciprocity-questions
For more information about the OCERS employer and employee contribution rates, please refer to the OCPFA MOU (Download PDF reader) (Pages 84-86) and OCERS Rate Charts for 2021/2022
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60+ college-level semester units = 2.5% of base salary per month; or
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90+ college-level semester units = 5% of base salary per month; or
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Baccalaureate Degree = 7.5% of base salary per month
The maximum educational incentive pay an employee shall receive is 7.5% of base salary. To receive educational incentive pay, the employee must submit a written request to receive the educational incentive pay and submit satisfactory proof of qualification (for example, grade cards, transcripts, and/or other verification from an accredited, college-level educational institution). OCFA does not require
sealed transcripts.
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Pay
: Employees (other than Firefighter Trainees) who maintain an active State of California EMT certification will receive, in addition to their regular salary, seven (9%) percent of each employee’s base salary per month, prorated on an hourly basis for regular hours paid.
Other Specialty Pays
: Employees who move into special assignments at OCFA, or who possess specialized skills, may be eligible for other specialty pays. Please refer to the OCPFA MOU and Side Letter Agreements for further details.
Tuition Reimbursement
: Tuition reimbursement is $2,000 per fiscal year to cover certain expenses associated with academic pursuits.
Holidays
: Employees in the Firefighters Unit observe 13 holidays within the calendar year:
Shift employees receive 11.2 hours holiday pay of which 0.7 hours is designated to a Union Time Bank for Union release time.
Vacation
: Vacation accrual is based on hours of completed continuous service (regular hours) exclusive of overtime. For shift employees:
- After 1 year but less than 3 years: Approx 112 hours per year;
- After 3 years but less than 10 years: Approx 168 hours per year;
- After 10 years: Approx 224 hours per year.
Sick Leave
: Sick leave is is based on hours of completed continuous service (regular hours) exclusive of overtime. For shift employees:
- Date of employment but less than 3 years: Approx 101 hours per year;
- After 3 years: Approx 144 hours per year.
Uniforms
: The Authority provides uniforms to employees.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
: The OCFA offers regular, limited-term, and probationary employees both a Medical and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), which allows you to contribute pre-tax dollars into an account that can be used throughout the year on qualified medical or dependent care expenses. Participants pay fewer taxes and take home more money. For 2022, the maximum employee contribution is $2,750 for eligible medical expenses. The maximum employee contribution is $5,000 for eligible dependent care expenses.
Behavioral Health and Wellness
: OCFA offers a variety of behavioral health and wellness services to our employees and their dependents, including access to the OCFA Peer Support Team Members, OCFA Chaplains, and the Counseling Team International (TCTI). TCTIC provides behavioral health and wellness services to public safety agency employees and their eligible family members with confidential professional assistance. Support services include, but are not limited to, the following types of situations: marital and family problems, stress/burnout, anger management, separation/divorce, child/adolescent issues, depression, and critical incident/trauma. TCTI also offers life care resource assistance for child care, adoption, elderly and senior care, and financial information.
WEFIT Program: The WEFIT Program is mandatory/non-punitive. The OCFA shall provide all five (5) of the following aspects of the WEFIT Program:
- Medical
- Fitness
- Medical/Fitness/Injury Rehabilitation
- Behavioral Health
- Data Collection and Reporting
Pet Discount Program
: OCFA has partnered with United Pet Care to offer a pet healthcare program. This program helps employees reduce the cost of escalating veterinary bills at an affordable rate. All pets are eligible regardless of their age or medical condition.
Benevolent Association
: Employees have the option to join OCFA’s Benevolent Association which was created to “Take Care of Their Own.” Included in your $8.00 per pay period cost is $10,000 Member Death Benefit, $4,000 Dependent Death Benefit, $30,000 Annual Scholarships for Members and Dependents, Hardship Grants/Loans, Annual Picnic for Members, Holiday Ball, and Retiree Tribute. In addition, Discount Offers- Recreation/Amusement Parks, fitness 19 and 24-Hour Fitness gym membership, discount movie tickets, Angels Baseball game with tailgate party, etc. Membership also allows access to very good supplemental insurances of many types, including, Long Term Disability, Long Term Care, various AFLAC (ICU, Cancer, Accident Injury, CSFA membership, Living Trusts and more. The Family Auxiliary and KIDS Fund (provides monetary assistance only to kids of members), both operate under the Benevolent Association.
This benefit summary is intended to provide an easy way for current and prospective employees to access fringe benefit information, including voluntary options. This summary is intended to be accurate, but it is not an official plan document, and has no legal or binding effect as an expressed or implied contract, or otherwise, and does not alter or amend any provision of the Memoranda of Understanding, Personnel and Salary Resolution, retirement contract, insurance policy contract, or any other official document of the Orange County Fire Authority, including Standard Operating Procedures and General Orders. All insurance benefits described in the summary are subject to the terms and limitations of the Orange County Fire Authority's insurance contracts with individual insurance providers.
Should you have any questions pertaining to information in this summary, please contact the Human Resources Department at (714) 573-6800.