County’s fuel system replaced

Officials: Automated program should improve accuracy

After audits critical of fire department record keeping, Orange County is prepared to bring the agency’s outdated fuel-tracking into modern times.

County commissioners signed off Tuesday on a plan to automate fuel tanks at a cost of $2 million, which covers both purchase and installation.

The action came after an audit in May by Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond’s office found “significant” errors by personnel in tracking fuel usage in a department with a fleet of 360 vehicles that spends more than $900,000 per year on petroleum.

The audit was a follow up to one done in 2015 that first pointed out record-keeping flaws in fuel deliveries. Orange County Fire Rescue hopes the modern system will be in place by the end of the year.

Under the current system — installed when Ronald Reagan resided in the White House — firefighters and paramedics record fuel-dispensing details on a piece of paper. That information is later moved to a spreadsheet.

But with first responders, who could be needed at an emergency on a moment’s notice, the system could lead to delays in recording the transaction and affect accuracy, said Carrie Proudfit, a spokeswoman for Orange County Fire Rescue.

“It’s critical that we have a fuel dispensing system in the county to support emergency response vehicles… and with that need comes the responsibly to ensure that we have the strongest possible system in place,” Proudfit said in an email. “This new system will certainly help increase reliability and minimize the potential for human error, along with provide a stringent accounting system all of which we believe will ensure the best tracking of fuel to our fleet.”

The automated system will require a unique employee identification number, record each transaction and provide real-time analytics.

The upgrade covers 25 of the de

partment’s 35 fueling sites. The other 10 are considered a separate project because they’re underground systems. Proudfit said the agency has already funded bringing those 10 above ground and automated.

The May audit said the fire department had made improvements since the 2015 review, which found more than 4,300 gallons of diesel and 288 gallons of leaded fuel unaccounted for on paperwork.

However, it still found a number of discrepancies, and Diamond called the paper system “terrible,” with the audit calling for the department to automate its fuel tracking.