Fire Authority is replacing the Garden Grove Fire Department on Friday

Beginning Friday, Aug. 16, residents of Garden Grove will see a slight difference in the fire vehicles roaming their city – with the emblems reading “Orange County Fire Authority” instead of “Garden Grove Fire Department.”

This is the first day the quasi-county agency will provide emergency and medical services instead of the city’s Fire Department, which had served Garden Grove for 93 years.

City officials have said that joining the OCFA will cut costs, including relieving pension liability, and fund necessary equipment updates.

Capt. Thanh Nguyen, through Thursday with the Garden Grove Fire Department before getting absorbed into the OCFA, said a months-long effort has strived for a smooth transition.

“There will be no lapse in service,” said Nguyen, who like other Garden Grove firefighters will keep the same rank. “And no change whatsoever to the 911 system.”

Since the 10-year contract was approved by city officials on April 9, the approximately 80 Garden Grove firefighters have been sworn in as Orange County Fire Authority personnel. Some are staying in Garden Grove while others are moving to other parts of the OCFA’s turf.

The engine numbering will be different, so will the logos, but for the most part residents may not see many big differences, Nguyen said.

Though there is one notable switch.

“Beginning (Friday), every single apparatus will have four firefighters with two of them being paramedics,” Nguyen said.

Before, most of the teams had only one paramedic.

The marriage of the two agencies had general broad support. The approval was reached with a 5-1-1 vote by the City Council.