Santa Ana’s nearly 130-year-old fire department is history come April — but that doesn't necessarily mean it’s going away. The Santa Ana City Council has unanimously voted to have the Orange County Fire Authority take over fire services in the city.
The city expects that move to save it between $8 million and $10 million a year.
Santa Ana officials say the city’s 10 fire stations will remain open and that the current firefighters will be folded into the Orange County Fire Authority, with no layoffs.
The union which represents Santa Ana’s firefighters has said it supports the shift because it’s better than the alternative: cutting firefighter jobs.
City officials made the money-saving change to help close a $30 million budget gap.