Orange County Fire Authority trustees on Thursday will consider boosting the pay of top executives, including a proposal that would give a $103,000-a-year salary increase to one official.
The OCFA board will be asked to promote communications director Matt Olson to the new position of chief of staff, pushing his base pay from an annual $209,000 to $312,000. Olson would become Chief Brian Fennessy’s right-hand aide and be paid equivalent to an entry-level assistant chief.
While the department has never before had a chief of staff, Deputy Chief Lori Zeller said Fennessy needs one because of his national involvement in promoting new firefighting techniques and analysis.
“We’ve never had a fire chief as innovative as the current chief and involved on the national level,” Zeller said.
Fennessy attributed the need for a chief of staff to “the ever-expanding complexities of running the third-largest fire department in the state, and our goal to not only elevate the services we provide our communities, but also stand as a national model of best practices.”
As the inaugural chief of staff, Olson would become Fennessy’s principal adviser and strategic partner in creating and managing the organization’s goals, projects, communications and initiatives, according to the proposal. He also would ensure that Fennessy is prepared and briefed on current matters within the OCFA and the firefighting industry.
“There has been a growing demand and desire to use (Olson) in that position,” Zeller said.
Olson’s proposed promotion is part of a package of compensation increases being brought to the board Thursday.
Staff is requesting an increase in the salaries of eight assistant chiefs, amounting to an average pay raise of $4,000 a year, according to Zeller. Zeller is within that employee category but is ineligible for a raise because she has announced her pending retirement.
Board members also will consider increasing the average deferred compensation for assistant chiefs — which is money paid out and taxed upon retirement — from $13,800 annually to $17,200.
Additionally, assistant chiefs who don’t have access to an agency vehicle would receive an additional $385 a month, for a total of $885 monthly, in compensation for using their personal cars for work.
And staff is proposing that assistant chiefs be allowed to cash out their flex or comp time upon leaving or dying, which they now cannot do.
Zeller said the pay package is meant as an incentive to entice division chiefs to consider promoting into the assistant chief position. Some assistant chiefs are planning to retire soon and division chiefs are wary about taking the position, which carries more responsibilities and is considered at-will, which means they can be fired at any time and for any reason.
“It removes this barrier from wanting to promote,” Zeller said.
She said the salary package would cost the district $303,484 in fiscal 2025-26.