Orange Fire Department - History

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 $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.