Orange Fire Department
Encyclopedia
The Orange Fire Department (OFD) is the agency that provides fire protection
and emergency medical services
(EMS) for Orange, California
.
.
The Department's EMS response is to send an engine company and a rescue ambulance
. All firefighters employed by the Department are certified Emergency Medical Technician
s (EMT) and can provide basic life support
until paramedic
s arrive. OFD has three rescue ambulances located in three different stations. Each rescue ambulance is staffed by fully trained paramedics. The ambulances can provide transport without having to wait for a private ambulance to arrive in cases of Advanced Life Support
or trauma
emergencies.
OFD also has a Swiftwater Rescue
team that is available for deployment anywhere in Orange County
. Several Department members are trained in Urban Search and Rescue
(USAR) and are members of Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 5
.
, three paramedic rescue ambulances and an SUV
for the battalion chief.
OFD keeps a number of pieces of reserve equipment: one ambulance, two rescue trucks, three engines and one fire truck.
There are also a fleet of support vehicles made up of one heavy rescue wrecker and four utility trucks, one of which is equipped with a lighting system.
Every apparatus in the City of Orange has a Paramedic on board. No matter if the engine or the rescue ambulance arrives on scene first there will always be a paramedic there.
100. The volunteers participated in weekly training and were paid $0.50 per call if they did not need to use water to extinguish a fire and $1.00 if water was needed. False alarms also garnered $1.00 for each volunteer.
Often an alarm would lead to a fight between the volunteers 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.
The City built a $467 Fire Hall to house the fire apparatus and the 40-foot (12 m) bell tower used to sound fire alarms. The original apparatus was a horse-drawn hook and ladder wagon and two-hand drawn carts. In 1912, the Department acquired it first motor-driven equipment, a Seagrave
pumper.
1913 saw the introduction of 15 fire alarm boxes throughout the City of Orange. The fire alarm system remained in use in the city until 1964.
The next year, 1914, the fire company hired its first full-time paid fireman who acted as a driver for the pumper. For the three years, this fireman was on duty around the clock. In 1917, a second fireman was hired to act as a relief fireman for the first.
The Department acquired an American LaFrance
fire truck capable of pumping 1000 gallons a minute (3,785 lpm) for $13,000 in 1921. In 1934, a rescue truck was built and put into service by the Department.
The Department moved into a new headquarters in November 1935. The old Fire Hall was converted into a senior center. In an ironic twist of fate, the Fire Hall was destroyed by a fire.
The OFD had its first chief, Chief George Horton, promoted in 1952 from within the department. Horton had started as a volunteer with the department in 1925. Under his leadership, the Department began a transition from a volunteer company to a professional, paid firefighting force. The last six volunteers retired in 1966 leaving OFD with an all paid force.
The current fire headquarters was dedicated on May 9, 1969.
In 1973, Orange became one of the first fire departments in Orange County to provide paramedic rescue service.
The current roles of the Department have expanded to include advanced life support and medical transportation, hazardous materials response, technical rescue operations including urban search and rescue, swift water rescue, confined space and trench rescue, disaster preparedness, public education, fire prevention and fire/arson investigation.
Fire protection
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, compartmentalisation, suppression and investigation of fire and its related emergencies, as well as the research and development, production, testing and application of...
and emergency medical services
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
(EMS) for Orange, California
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
.
Services
The Department services 134,500 persons in an area of 24 square miles (62 km²) from eight stations. The typical response time for OFD is 3–5 minutes with an average of 4:37 for 2005. The standard response to a report of a residential structure fire is 3 engine companies, 1 truck company, 1 transportation/rescue unit and 1 Battalion Chief. The firefighters work a 24-hour shift every other day for five days and are then off for four days. Dispatch for OFD is handled by the MetroNet Communications Center run by the Anaheim Fire DepartmentAnaheim Fire Department
The Anaheim Fire Department is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for Anaheim, California.-Fire Suppression Section:...
.
The Department's EMS response is to send an engine company and a rescue ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
. All firefighters employed by the Department are certified Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
s (EMT) and can provide basic life support
Basic life support
Basic life support is the level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until the patient can be given full medical care at a hospital. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and by...
until paramedic
Paramedic
A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
s arrive. OFD has three rescue ambulances located in three different stations. Each rescue ambulance is staffed by fully trained paramedics. The ambulances can provide transport without having to wait for a private ambulance to arrive in cases of Advanced Life Support
Advanced Life Support
Advanced Life Support is a set of life-saving protocols and skills that extend Basic Life Support to further support the circulation and provide an open airway and adequate ventilation .-Components of ALS:These include:...
or trauma
Physical trauma
Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
emergencies.
OFD also has a Swiftwater Rescue
Swiftwater rescue
Swiftwater rescue is a subset of technical rescue dealing in whitewater river conditions. Due to the added pressure of moving water, swiftwater rescue involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes and mechanical advantage systems that are often much more robust than those used in standard...
team that is available for deployment anywhere in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. Several Department members are trained in Urban Search and Rescue
Urban search and rescue
Urban search and rescue involves the location, extrication, and initial medical stabilization of victims trapped in confined spaces due to natural disasters, structural collapse, transportation accidents, mines and collapsed trenches.USAR teams in different countries may be organised in a...
(USAR) and are members of Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 5
Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 5
Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 5 or CA-TF5 is a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force based in Orange County, California. CA-TF5 is sponsored by the Orange County Fire Authority....
.
Apparatus
The front-line firefighting equipment of OFD consists of eight fire engines, one truck, a rescue squadHeavy rescue vehicle
A heavy rescue vehicle is a type of specialty firefighting or EMS apparatus. They are primarily designed to provide the specialized equipment necessary for technical rescue situations such as auto accidents requiring vehicle extrication, building collapses, confined space rescue, rope rescues and...
, three paramedic rescue ambulances and an SUV
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
for the battalion chief.
OFD keeps a number of pieces of reserve equipment: one ambulance, two rescue trucks, three engines and one fire truck.
There are also a fleet of support vehicles made up of one heavy rescue wrecker and four utility trucks, one of which is equipped with a lighting system.
Every apparatus in the City of Orange has a Paramedic on board. No matter if the engine or the rescue ambulance arrives on scene first there will always be a paramedic there.
History
The Department was founded on December 14, 1905 at a meeting of the City of Orange's Fire and Water committee. 29 men made up the all volunteer department. All of the volunteers were required to purchase a share of the fire company for $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100. The volunteers participated in weekly training and were paid $0.50 per call if they did not need to use water to extinguish a fire and $1.00 if water was needed. False alarms also garnered $1.00 for each volunteer.
Often an alarm would lead to a fight between the volunteers 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.
The City built a $467 Fire Hall to house the fire apparatus and the 40-foot (12 m) bell tower used to sound fire alarms. The original apparatus was a horse-drawn hook and ladder wagon and two-hand drawn carts. In 1912, the Department acquired it first motor-driven equipment, a Seagrave
Seagrave Fire Apparatus
Seagrave Fire Apparatus LLC is a manufacturer of fire apparatus that specializes in pumper and rescue units, as well as aerial towers. In addition to manufacturing new equipment, they refurbish, repair and upgrade older Seagrave apparatus, including National Fire Protection Association updates to...
pumper.
1913 saw the introduction of 15 fire alarm boxes throughout the City of Orange. The fire alarm system remained in use in the city until 1964.
The next year, 1914, the fire company hired its first full-time paid fireman who acted as a driver for the pumper. For the three years, this fireman was on duty around the clock. In 1917, a second fireman was hired to act as a relief fireman for the first.
The Department acquired an American LaFrance
American LaFrance
American LaFrance is an emergency and vocational vehicle manufacturer, currently based in Summerville, South Carolina. Focusing primarily on emergency apparatus fire engines and fire aerial including ambulance and rescue vehicles.-History:...
fire truck capable of pumping 1000 gallons a minute (3,785 lpm) for $13,000 in 1921. In 1934, a rescue truck was built and put into service by the Department.
The Department moved into a new headquarters in November 1935. The old Fire Hall was converted into a senior center. In an ironic twist of fate, the Fire Hall was destroyed by a fire.
The OFD had its first chief, Chief George Horton, promoted in 1952 from within the department. Horton had started as a volunteer with the department in 1925. Under his leadership, the Department began a transition from a volunteer company to a professional, paid firefighting force. The last six volunteers retired in 1966 leaving OFD with an all paid force.
The current fire headquarters was dedicated on May 9, 1969.
In 1973, Orange became one of the first fire departments in Orange County to provide paramedic rescue service.
The current roles of the Department have expanded to include advanced life support and medical transportation, hazardous materials response, technical rescue operations including urban search and rescue, swift water rescue, confined space and trench rescue, disaster preparedness, public education, fire prevention and fire/arson investigation.