Operations Division
Chief Scott Berg

The Operations Division The Operations Division is the largest division of the fire department. Under the direction of the Operations Division Chief, the division employs six (6) Battalion Chiefs, 216 suppression personnel, a registered nurse Emergency Medical Services coordinator and support team staff. Field operations handles all fire, rescue, and medical aid calls for service within five minutes 90% of the time; manages all major disaster responses; and staffs 12 engine companies and 5 truck companies with 4 personnel assigned to each apparatus. Selected personnel within the division provide CPR and first aid instruction to other city departments. The Operations Division is responsible for insuring that all personnel are hazardous materials first responder trained and for maintaining one of Orange County’s Type I Haz Mat Response units. The Operations Division Chief also oversees the management of the Metro Cities Fire Communications Center.

The Emergency Medical Services Section reports directly to the Operations Division Chief. The EMS Coordinator, a registered nurse, manages the city’s paramedic membership program, emergency ambulance transportation, and billing programs. The EMS coordinator is responsible for continuous program quality improvement and skills and license maintenance of the department’s EMT and paramedic personnel. The EMS Coordinator represents the department as liaison to local hospital emergency departments, health care providers and the Orange County EMS Agency.

The Communications Section manages the The Metro Cities Fire Communications Center which employs a Communications Manager, Training Officer, a Secretary, a Systems Specialist, a Medical Coordinator, a Communications Operations Supervisor, four Shift Supervisors and 23 Dispatchers. The dispatch center coordinates all fire and emergency medical aid calls for seven partner cities. The dispatch center also manages communications during major incidents, including the dispatching of additional specialized resources.

The Fire Suppression Section employs six (6) Battalion Chiefs, 216 suppression personnel, and support team staff. Field operations handles all fire and rescue calls for service within five minutes 90% of the time; manages all major disaster responses; and staffs 13 engine companies and 5 truck companies with 4 personnel assigned to each apparatus.

The Fire Department Training Captain manages the North Net Fire Training Center. The training center schedules all "on-site" training and develops and administers various educational and training programs such as: promotional exams, certification proficiency exams for fire apparatus operators, Urban Search and Rescue skills training, and re-certification exams for fire department EMT personnel.

Planning, research and development of new firefighting/rescue techniques and equipment are also managed by the training center. Furthermore, the training center staff manages 40 volunteer work experience firefighter reserves. The volunteer work experience reserve program is designed to provide experience in a fire department environment for firefighter academy graduates that are seeking full time employment as firefighters.

The Fire Investigation Section is responsible for investigating fires of suspicious origin, fires involving fatalities, and those resulting in large dollar loss. The section consists of one Arson Coordinator and three Shift Investigators.