The OCFA takes over from the GGFD

BEGINNING FRIDAY morning, the GGFD is merged into the Orange County Fire Authority (GGFD/OCFA).

This morning (Friday), history turned the page in Garden Grove as fire and paramedic service passed from the city fire department to the Orange County Fire Authority.

At 8 a.m., the 93-year-old GGFD – with its roots as a volunteer firefighting force – disappeared into the OCFA, an Irvine-based joint powers authority that covers most of the county.

The staff of the GGFD became employees of the OCFA and Garden Grove will be part of Division 1 of the OCFA as Battalion 1. The new “fire chief” for the Big Strawberry will be Ron Roberts, who will oversee OCFA operations for Garden Grove and several adjacent communities from what was formerly the GGFD headquarters on Acacia Parkway in the Civic Center.

Emergency calls should continue to be directed to 9-1-1. Battalion headquarters can be reached at (714) 573-6000. The public information office is at (714) 357-7782.

Under the 10-year agreement with the OCFA, the former GGFD vehicles will bear the logos of both the agency and Garden Grove.

The change from the fire department to the OCFA was controversial. Arguments in favor of the change included improved response time for paramedic calls; skeptics pointed to city financial projections saying that the switch would cost taxpayers upwards of $1 million annually.