Kern County has released an independent report that details more than $12.75 million in savings that could be achieved by changing the way the Kern County Fire Department pays firefighters, buys vehicles, and provides service to small cities and county airports. But the Kern County Fire Fighters union on Friday called the report a cut-and-paste hit piece designed to rally public opinion against firefighters right before the county launches a contract assault on their pay and benefits. The 240-plus page document was commissioned by the county in May to try to address a $9.1 million gap between how much the fire department spends annually and how much the department has to fund its spending. It was prepared by the Center for Public Safety Management.