# Orange County Fire Authority

The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for unincorporated areas of Orange County and 23 contract cities in the county: Aliso Viejo, Buena Park, Cypress, Dana Point, Garden Grove, Irvine, La Palma, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Santa Ana, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster and Yorba Linda. There are 7 divisions and 11 battalions.

## History

Prior to 1980, the Orange County Fire Department, as it was then known, was operated by CAL FIRE under contract. In May 1980, the Orange County Fire Department was formed to serve the county. Over the next decade, multiple new cities were formed from what had been unincorporated areas of the county. Many of these cities chose to contract with the OCFD for fire services. In 1991 the OCFD began exploring the possibility of reorganizing as a separate agency, first as a Special District and then as a Joint Powers Authority. The County filed for bankruptcy in December 1994, which further encouraged Orange County Fire Department to reorganize as a JPA, known as the Orange County Fire Authority. In 2012 the Orange County Fire Authority absorbed the Santa Ana Fire Department. In, January 2017, OCFA Station 61 in the city of Buena Park Caught fire. Station 61 is just adjacent to the rear of Knotts Berry Farm. The incident occurred around 3 A.M. Engine 61 was en route to a medical emergency at the time but was quickly cancelled when Engine 61 returned. The station was engulfed in flames. No one was injured in the event and all were able to safely escape. A $1,000,000 ladder truck was lost in the blaze, which was the 2006 American Lafrance Truck 61. In 2018, Station 61 was reconstructed on 7440 La Palma Ave, nearly a block away from the old location. In 2019 the OCFA absorbed the Garden Grove Fire Department. Later that year, the City of Placentia, California decided that it would leave the OCFA and create its own fire department, Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department. Placentia, California is the first city to leave the authority.

## Stations & equipment

The Operations Department of the OCFA is responsible for directly rendering emergency services to the communities that OCFA serves. In 2006, OCFA responded to 79,718 incidents within its jurisdiction and 4,084 mutual aid calls. The department is split into seven geographic divisions numbered 1-7 with 11 battalions, each commanded by a battalion chief. In 2017-2019, OCFA Purchased a large amount of KME Pumpers and 11 KME TDA's, which went to Trucks 4, 17, 22, 28, 43, 45, 56, 61, 71, 75, and 76. In 2020, they also purchased 4 KME 100' RM Ladders, which will go to Trucks 59, 49, 81,and 85, 2 Water Tenders (WT 4 and 16), and 3 Type III Brush Engines, which went to E351, E358, and E364. In 2021, they again, purchased 13 more KME Pumpers, which were assigned to Engines 9, 22, 222, 24, 29, 30, 31, 38, 60, 64, 66, 67, and 78. And in 2023, 3 Sutphen Monarch 100’ MM aerials were purchased and assigned to Trucks 9, 20, and 32. And most recently, a Rosenbauer Heavy Rescue was purchased to replace HR6, a Pierce Arrow XT.

### Division 1

Division 1 is located in the western area of Orange County. It covers the communities of Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Westminster, Midway City, and Garden Grove; and the unincorporated communities of Rossmoor, and Sunset Beach. Division 1 is covered by Battalion 1 commanding seven fire stations with Station 2 in Los Alamitos, Station 25 in Midway City, Stations 44 and 48 in Seal Beach and Stations 64, 65 and 66 in Westminster. and Battalion 11 also commanding seven stations covering the city of Garden Grove. The stations in Battalion 11 are Stations 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 and 86 in Garden Grove.
Battalion 1 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | EMS Units | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 2 | Los Alamitos | Paramedic Engine 2, Reserve Engine 102 | | | |
| 25 | Midway City | Paramedic Engine 25, Reserve Engine 125 | | | |
| 44 | Seal Beach | Paramedic Engine 44 | | | |
| 48 | Seal Beach | Paramedic Engine 48 | | Patrol 48 | |
| 64 | Westminster | Paramedic Engine 64, Cadet Engine 1 | Care Ambulance 64 | Engine 364 | Battalion Chief 1, Division 1, Reserve Truck 964 |
| 65 | Westminster | Paramedic Engine 65 | | | |
| 66 | Westminster | Paramedic Engine 66 | Care Ambulance 66 | | |
Battalion 11 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 80 | Garden Grove | Paramedic Engine 80 | | | |
| 81 | Garden Grove | | Paramedic Truck 81 | | Battalion Chief 11 |
| 82 | Garden Grove | Paramedic Engine 82 | | | |
| 83 | Garden Grove | Paramedic Engine 83 | | | |
| 84 | Garden Grove | Paramedic Engine 84 | | Engine 384 | |
| 85 | Garden Grove | | Paramedic Truck 85 | | |
| 86 | Garden Grove | Paramedic Engine 86, Reserve Engine 186 | | | |

### Division 2

Division 2 is located in the central area of Orange County covering the city of Irvine; along with the John Wayne Airport, and University of California, Irvine. Division 2 covered by Battalion 5 and Battalion 10, each commanding six fire stations. The stations in Battalion 5 are Stations 4, 6, 28, 33, 36 and 47. The stations in Battalion 10 are Stations 20, 26, 27, 38, 51 and 55.
Battalion 5 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | EMS Units | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 4 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 4 | Paramedic Truck 4 | Reserve Medic 104, Reserve Medic 904 (Ex-Medic 4) | Water Tender 4 | |
| 6 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 6 | | | | Division 2, Heavy Rescue 6, Swift Water 6, USAR 6 |
| 28 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 28 | Paramedic Truck 28 | Reserve Medic 128 | | |
| 33 | John Wayne Airport | | | | | Crash 1, Crash 2, Crash 3, Crane 33, Foam Trailer 33, Utility 33, Stair 33 |
| 36 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 36 Cadet Engine 5 | | | | Battalion Chief 5, Foam 36, Investigator 36 |
| 47 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 47 | | | Engine 347, Dozer 1 | |
Battalion 10 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | EMS Units | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 20 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 20 | Truck 20 | | | Battalion Chief 10, HazMat 20, HazMat 220 |
| 26 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 26 | | | Patrol 26 | |
| 27 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 27 | | | Engine 327 | Information 1 & 2 (PIO) |
| 38 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 38 | | Reserve Medic 138 (Special Events) | | |
| 51 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 51 | | | Engine 351 | Mass Casualty 51 |
| 55 | Irvine | Paramedic Engine 55 | | | Engine 355 | Investigator 55 |

### Division 3

    Division 3 is located in the southern and eastern areas of Orange County. It covers the cities of Dana Point, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano; along with the unincorporated communities of Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Modjeska Canyon, and Trabuco Canyon. Division 3 is covered by Battalion 6 and Battalion 7, both commanding seven fire stations. Battalion 6 commands Stations 7, 29, 30, 50, 56, 59, 60 and 67, while Battalion 7 commands Stations 9, 18, 24, 31, 40, 45 and 58.
Battalion 6 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | EMS Units | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 7 | San Juan Capistrano | Engine 7 | | Medic 7 | Engine 307, Patrol 7, Water Tender 7 | |
| 29 | Dana Point | Paramedic Engine 29 | | | | Battalion Chief 6 |
| 30 | Dana Point | Paramedic Engine 30 | | | Patrol 30 |
| 50 | San Clemente | Paramedic Engine 50 | | Care Ambulance 50 | Engine 350 | |
| 56 | Rancho Mission Viejo | Paramedic Engine 56 | USAR Truck 56 | | | Urban Support 56, Swift Water 56 |
| 59 | San Clemente | Cadet Engine 6 | Paramedic Truck 59 | | | |
| 60 | San Clemente | Paramedic Engine 60 | | | | |
| 67 | Rancho Mission Viejo | Paramedic Engine 67 | | | Engine 367 | |
Battalion 7 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | EMS Units | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 9 | Mission Viejo | Paramedic Engine 9 | Paramedic Truck 9 | | | |
| 18 | Trabuco Canyon | PAU Engine 18 | | | Fire Crew 1, Fire Crew 2, Fire Crew 18, Engine 318, Patrol 18 | Superintendent 1 |
| 24 | Mission Viejo | Paramedic Engine 24 | | Reserve Medic 924 | | |
| 31 | Mission Viejo | Paramedic Engine 31 | | | | |
| 40 | Coto de Caza | Paramedic Engine 40 | | | | |
| 45 | Rancho Santa Margarita | Engine 45, Cadet Engine 7 | Truck 45 | Medic 45 | Engine 345 | Battalion Chief 7, Utility 45, Utility 7, Reserve Battalion Chief 945, Service Support 3 |
| 58 | Ladera Ranch | Paramedic Engine 58 | | | Engine 358 | Division 3 |

### Division 4

Division 4 is located in the northern area of Orange County. It covers cities of Tustin, Villa Park, and Yorba Linda along with the unincorporated communities of El Modena, Orange Park Acres, Santiago Canyon, Silverado Canyon, and North Tustin. Division 4 is covered by Battalion 3 commanding eight fire stations and Battalion 2 commanding three fire stations. The stations in Battalion 3 are Stations 8, 14, 15, 16, 21, 37 and 43. The stations in Battalion 2 are Stations 10, 23, 32 and 53. In July 2020, the city of Placentia disbanded from OCFA, decommissioning Station 34 and 35 and removing Engine 34, Truck 34*, USAR 34*, Utility 2* and Engine 35. *Truck 34, USAR 34, and Utility 2 now have been reassigned to Station 32, now Truck 32, USAR 32. Utility 2 was moved to Station 10, remaining as Utility 2. Now Station 32 houses Engine 32, Truck 32, Engine 132, and USAR 32. Water Tender 32 has since been reassigned back to Water Tender 10, where it was originally assigned before being assigned to Water Tender 32 around 2009 (exact date not available). Battalion 2 was since reassigned from Station 34 to Station 53, then in 2021, moved to station 10.
Battalion 3 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | EMS Units | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 8 | Santa Ana | PAU Engine 8 | | | | |
| 14 | Silverado | Engine 14 | | | Patrol 14 | |
| 15 | Silverado | PAU Engine 15 | | | Engine 315, Patrol 15 | |
| 16 | Modjeska Canyon | Engine 16 | | | Patrol 16 | Water Tender 16 |
| 21 | Tustin | Paramedic Engine 21, Cadet Engine 3 | | | | Battalion Chief 3 |
| 37 | Tustin | Paramedic Engine 37 | | | | Division 4 |
| 43 | Tustin | | Paramedic Truck 43 | Reserve Medic 943 | | Utility 43 |
Battalion 2 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | EMS Units | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 10 | Yorba Linda | Paramedic Engine 10 | | | Water Tender 10, Patrol 10 | Battalion 2, Utility 2 |
| 23 | Orange | Paramedic Engine 23 | | | Patrol 23 | |
| 32 | Yorba Linda | Paramedic Engine 32 | USAR Truck 32 | Reserve Medic 932 | | USAR Support 32 |
| 53 | Yorba Linda | Paramedic Engine 53, Cadet Engine 2 | | | Engine 353, Dozer 2 | |

### Division 5

Division 5 covers the cities of Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Emerald Bay and Mission Viejo. Division 5 is covered by Battalion 4 commanding nine fire stations. These stations are Stations 5, 11, 19, 22, 39, 42, 49, 54 and 57. There are two paramedic engine companies at Station 22.
Battalion 4 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | EMS units | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 5 | Laguna Niguel | Paramedic Engine 5, Reserve Engine 105 | | | | |
| 11 | Emerald Bay | Engine 11 | | | Patrol 11 | |
| 19 | Lake Forest | Paramedic Engine 19 | | | | |
| 22 | Laguna Woods | Paramedic Engine 22, Paramedic Engine 222 | Truck 22 | | | Battalion Chief 4, Reserve Battalion Chief 904, Utility 22 |
| 39 | Laguna Niguel | Paramedic Engine 39 | | | Engine 339 | Utility 39 |
| 42 | Lake Forest | Paramedic Engine 42 | | | | |
| 49 | Laguna Niguel | | Paramedic Truck 49 | | | |
| 54 | Lake Forest | Paramedic Engine 54 | | | | USAR Task Force 5 |
| 57 | Aliso Viejo | Paramedic Engine 57, Reserve Engine 157, Cadet Engine 4 | | Medic 57 | Patrol 57 | Division 5 |

### Division 6

Division 6 is located in the center area of Orange County, covers the city of Santa Ana and is covered by Battalion 9 commanding ten fire stations. These stations are Stations 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79.
Battalion 9 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | EMS Units | Wildland Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 70 | Santa Ana | Paramedic Engine 70 | | | Engine 370 | Service Support 2 |
| 71 | Santa Ana | Paramedic Engine 71 | Paramedic Truck 71 | Reserve Medic 171 | | |
| 72 | Santa Ana | Paramedic Engine 72 | | | | |
| 73 | Santa Ana | Paramedic Engine 73 | | | | |
| 74 | Santa Ana | Paramedic Engine 74 | | | | Battalion Chief 9, Division 6 |
| 75 | Santa Ana | Paramedic Engine 75, Cadet Engine 9 | Paramedic Truck 75 | | | |
| 76 | Santa Ana | | Paramedic Truck 76, Reserve Truck 976 | | | |
| 77 | Santa Ana | Paramedic Engine 77 | | | | |
| 78 | Santa Ana | Paramedic Engine 78 | | | | |
| 79 | Santa Ana | Paramedic Engine 79 | | | | Hazmat 79 |

### Division 7

Division 7 is located in the western area of Orange County. It covers the communities of Buena Park, Cypress, La Palma, Stanton and the Air Support Facility at Fullerton Airport. In 2024 OCFA received two Sikorsky S70I Firehawks, as Helicopters 1 & 2. The Firehawks replaced two Bell UH-1 Super Hueys, after they were grounded in 2020 due to rising maintenance costs. The 2 existing Bell 412EP’s were reassigned to Helicopters 3 & 4. Battalion 8 commands Stations 13, 17, 41, 46, 61, 62 and 63.
Battalion 8 :
| Fire Station Number | City | Engine Company | Truck Company | EMS Units | Auxiliary Units |
| 13 | La Palma | Paramedic Engine 13 | | Reserve Medic 113 | |
| 17 | Cypress | Paramedic Engine 17, Reserve Engine 117, Reserve Engine 917 | Truck 17 | | |
| 41 | Fullerton | | | | Helicopter 1, 2, 3, 4 Helitender 41, 241 Water Tender 41 |
| 46 | Stanton | Paramedic Engine 46 | | Medic 46 | |
| 61 | Buena Park | Paramedic Engine 61, Cadet Engine 8 | USAR Truck 61 | | USAR Support 61, Swift Water 61, Battalion Chief 8, Division 7 |
| 62 | Buena Park | Paramedic Engine 62 | | | |
| 63 | Buena Park | Paramedic Engine 63, Reserve Engine 163 | | | |