Orange City Fire Department
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The Orange Fire Department (OFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Orange, California. The department is responsible for a population of approximately 140,000 people spread across . Along with their standard firefighting apparatus, the department also has a
Swiftwater rescue Swift water rescue (also called "white water rescue") is a subset of technical rescue dealing in white water river conditions. Due to the added pressure of moving water, swift water rescue involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes an ...
team that is available for deployment anywhere in
Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...
.


History

The Orange Fire Department came into existence on December 14, 1905 at a meeting between the city's Fire and Water Committees. Twenty-nine men signed up to join the all volunteer fire department. New volunteers were required to purchase shares of the "Company" for $100. The volunteers were paid 50 cents a call if they didn't have to use water, $1 if they did and were also paid $1 per false alarm. Early on, there were often fights between the volunteers when an alarm went off, as they battled to see which would be the ones to pull the ladder wagon or hose cart to the fire, thus earning the pay for the call. In 1906, the volunteers repurposed an 1874 building that had been moved rearward off Glassell Street in 1905, during construction of the Edwards Block Building. That old building would serve as the volunteers first fire hall from 1906 to 1910 and was located in the northeast corner of Plaza Square. The little fire hall had a 30-foot tower with a fire bell adjacent to the building to sound fire alarms. The original apparatus was a hand-drawn hook and ladder wagon and two-hand drawn carts. In July 1910 the volunteers moved to their first purpose-built fire station at 122 south Olive Street. The total cost of the new fire station was $465, including lumber, plumbing, fixtures and nails. It wasn't until 1912 that the department acquired its first motor-driven equipment, a
Seagrave Seagrave is a village and civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. It has a population of around 500, measured at the 2011 census as 546, It is north of Sileby and close to Thrussington and Barrow upon Soar. Histor ...
fire truck and chemical engine.. The first paid firefighter, William Vickers, was hired by the Department in 1914 and he lived upstairs at the fire hall for an $8-a-month rent. This Fire Hall acted as OFD's headquarters until March 1935, when the department moved into another facility across the street on Olive. Incidentally, that 1935 facility eventually burned down. An American LaFrance fire truck capable of pumping 1,000 gallons a minute was purchased for $13,000 in 1921, making the Orange Fire Department the first firefighting agency in Orange County to purchase and utilize a motorized fire engine. By 1966 the department had fully transitioned from a volunteer department, to full-time career. In 1973, the department became one of the first in
Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...
to provide paramedic rescue service. On October 6, 2022, the Grand Opening of the department's latest headquarters was held at 1176 East Chapman Avenue. The structure sits on a 1.5 acre, city-owned site on East Chapman Avenue at Water Street. The new building replaces a 50-year-old fire headquarters at 176 south Grand Street. The new facility provides for increased administrative and training space, as well as increased room for fire apparatus. The total cost of the project, including design, construction, and outfitting, is estimated at 24.9 million USD$.


Stations and apparatus

The department has 8 stations spread across the city. There are 2 Engine Companies at Stations 1 and 7.


Metro Cities Fire Authority

The Orange City Fire Department is part of the Metro Cities Fire Authority which provides emergency communications for multiple departments in and around
Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...
. The call center, known as Metro Net Fire Dispatch, is located in
Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...
and provides
9-1-1 , usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...
fire and EMS dispatch to over 1.2 million residents covering an area of . Other departments included in Metro Net include Anaheim Fire & Rescue,
Brea Fire Department Brea (; Spanish for "tar") is a city in northern Orange County, California. The population as of the 2010 census was 39,282. It is southeast of Los Angeles. Brea is part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The city began as a center of cru ...
, Fountain Valley,
Fullerton Fire Department The Fullerton Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Fullerton, California. The department is responsible for an area of approximately that has a population of just over 135,000 as of 2010 ...
,
Huntington Beach Fire Department Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 during the 2020 census, makin ...
, and
Newport Beach Fire Department Newport Beach is a coastal city in South Orange County, California. Newport Beach is known for swimming and sandy beaches. Newport Harbor once supported maritime industries however today, it is used mostly for recreation. Balboa Island draws v ...
.


References

{{California fire departments Fire departments in California Emergency services in Orange County, California Ambulance services in the United States Medical and health organizations based in California 1905 establishments in California