Description
The Relief Helicopter Crew Chief is a part-time special assignment open to current, qualified Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Fire Captains.
ONLY applications from current OCFA Fire Captains will be considered.
The Air Operations section is recruiting for the position of Relief Helicopter Crew Chief to create a candidate pool list to fill future vacancies. Selected candidates will be assigned to a 4/10 work schedule to complete the required training. The training will consist of duties and responsibilities of a Helicopter Crew Chief. Once trained and qualified, personnel will be eligible to work as a Helicopter Crew Chief. As openings permit, selected candidates will be administratively assigned to the Air Operations section for a period not to exceed six (6) months. Air Operation personnel work on a 48/96 schedule.
Essential Functions
To view the "Relief Crew Chiefs/Helicopter Program” agreement, please click on the following link and refer to Appendix F-6 on page 147: Orange County Professional Firefighters Association
Memorandum of Understanding.
Minimum Qualifications
- Current OCFA Fire Captain
- Three (3) years of experience as an OCFA Fire Captain
- Rescue Systems 1 or Rope Rescue Awareness/Operations
- Swiftwater Rescue Technician 1
- Intermediate Fire Behavior (S-290) Certificate
Highly Desirable Qualifications
- Basic Air Operations (S-270)
- Helicopter Crew Member (S-271)
- Aviation Training at www.iat.gov: A-100, A-103, A-109, A-110, A-112, A-115, A-200, A-202, A-203, A-204, A-205, A-209
- NCWG Standards for Helicopter Operations (Chapters 2, 3 and 4)
NCWG Standards for Helicopter Operations
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
How To Apply For This Position
To apply, go to www.ocfa.org. Interested personnel are to submit the following:
- Online application
- Memo of Interest
The following certificates
MUSTbe attached to online application:
- Intermediate Fire Behavior (S-290)
- Rescue Systems 1 or Rope Rescue Awareness/Operations
- Swift Water Rescue Technician 1
All materials must be submitted with your online application by the close of this recruitment at 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
Tentative Schedule Of Events
- Recruitment Closes – Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 12:00 PM (noon)
- Orientation/Prep-Days: February 3, 4, and 7, 2025; 0900-1200 @ FS41
- Oral Interviews – February 12, 2025
- Helicopter Crew Chief Academy - TBD
If there is a change in the recruitment process, Human Resources will notify all affected candidates.
QUESTIONS
Should you have questions or need additional information, please contact Fire Battalion Chief Dan Dufrene at (949) 919-1869.
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH NEOGOV
Please contact Duke Steppe, Human Resources Manager at dukesteppe@ocfa.org or (714) 573-6807 if you are experiencing any difficulties completing your application or uploading your attachments.
Americans With Disabilities Act (ada) Accommodation
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons with disabilities requiring reasonable accommodations for the purposes of employment testing should contact Duke Steppe, Human Resources Manager at dukesteppe@ocfa.org at least 72 hours prior to any portion of the examination process.
Withdrawing From Recruitment Process
Whenever an applicant chooses to withdraw from a recruitment process, he/she is required to submit an email notification to the assigned recruiter requesting a withdrawal from the process. The email to the recruiter must include the applicant's current phone number.
CHANGE IN SCHEDULING/SELECTION PROCESS
If there is a change in the scheduling or selection process, Human Resources will notify all affected candidates.
NOTE
The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an express or implied contract. Any provision in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without prior notice.
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).
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
- Effective March 21, 2025 - Salary range for each classification will be adjusted by 2.75%. Employees will receive their increase once eligible for a merit increase per Article II, Section 3 of OCPFA MOU.
- Effective March 20, 2026 - Salary range for each classification will be adjusted by 2.75%. Employees will receive their increase once they are eligible for a merit increase per Article II, Section 3 of the OCPFA MOU.
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, 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. The current contribution to the medical benefit trust fund will continue through 6/30/2026 in the amount of $2,199.49/month for "actively employed" enrollee members of the unit.
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.
Legacy Safety Members: Employees hired on or after January 1, 2013
who establish reciprocity with OCERS are enrolled in the 3% at age 55 retirement formula (Plan R). The compensation limit for Legacy members for 2024 is $345,000.
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 2024 is $181,734 (non-Social Security Participants).
For more information about OCERS retirement, please visit OCERS, or view the Retirement Plan HERE.
Deferred Compensation
Employees may voluntarily participate in the Authority’s deferred compensation plan. This plan is provided by Nationwide Retirement Services and allows for pre- and post-tax deferrals. This plan is 100% employee funded.
Retiree Medical Savings Plan
Employees participate in an employer sponsored retirement Healthcare Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) with a contribution of 3.0% of base salary. Handcrew Firefighters do not participate in this benefit.
OCPFA Supplemental Retiree Medical Plan
Employees contribute 1.0% of their base salary towards the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association (OCPFA) Supplemental Retiree Medical Plan Trust Fund.
Social Security
Orange County Fire Authority employees are not covered under the provisions of Federal Social Security (OASDI); therefore, they are not required to contribute 6.2% of salary towards Social Security.
Medicare
Employees contribute 1.45% to Medicare. Employees whose wages exceed $200,000 in a calendar year shall contribute an additional 0.9%.
Educational Incentive Pay
Employees with college-level semester units or a bachelor’s degree are eligible for educational incentive pay as follows:
- 60+ college-level semester units - 2.5% of base salary per month; or
- 90+ college-level semester units - 5% of base salary per month; or
- 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). Employees must provide official transcripts for verification.
Hand Crew Firefighters are ineleigible for educational incentive Pay
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:
- New Year's Day
- Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday
- Lincoln's Birthday
- President's Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day
- Veteran's Day
- Thanksgiving Day
- Day after Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day
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.
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.
Updated 06/24/2024
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.
01
The Orange County Fire Authority uses e-mail to notify applicants of important information relating to the status and processing of applications. We do so as part of our ongoing efforts to increase efficiency, conserve resources, and minimize delays and costs. Therefore, as an applicant, please ensure that the e-mail address you provide is current, secure, and readily accessible to you. We recommend that you do not share e-mail addresses with other individuals who may inadvertently delete important communications sent to you. Spam or other filters should be adjusted to accept e-mails from ocfa.org and governmentjobs.com. Please read each e-mail notice carefully and in a timely manner. Follow further instructions, if any. Please acknowledge that you have read, understand, and agree to the above.
02
Are you a current OCFA Fire Captain?
03
Do you possess at least three (3) years of experience as an OCFA Fire Captain?
04
I have successfully completed and attached the following training prerequisite certificates:
- Intermediate Fire Behavior (S-290)
- Rescue Systems 1 or Rope Rescue Awareness/Operations
- Swift Water Rescue
- I do not possess one or more of the above listed certificates.
05
I have successfully completed the following training programs (highly desirable):
- Basic Air Operations (S-270)
- Helicopter Crew Member (S-271)
- I do not possess one or more of the above listed certificates.
06
I have successfully completed the following aviation training courses (highly desirable):
- A-100
- A-103
- A-109
- A-110
- A-112
- A-115
- A-200
- A-202
- A-203
- A-204
- A-205
- A-209
- I have not completed any of the above listed training courses.
07
I have attached my cover memo of interest and certificates.
