OC Fire Chief Wins Prestigious Award In Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy won the Fire Chief of the Year award, the OCFA announced on Thursday. This marks the second time an OC Fire Authority chief has been selected for the award, with Chip Prather earning the honor in 2002.

Fennessy was nominated by several fire service leaders both in the OC Fire Authority and around the state. One of these fire leaders includes Frank Frievalt, who served as the Fire Chief of Mammoth Lakes FPD.

“I believe we provide great benefit to the California fire service when we can point to examples of what ‘right’ looks like over decades of leadership,” Frievalt said in his nomination letter.

“I am humbled to accept the 2022 Ronny Jack Coleman Award on behalf of the OCFA firefighters and professional staff who collectively embody the tenets of professionalism and care this honor signifies and represents,” Fennessy said. “Together, we serve nearly two million people in Orange County, and we are proud that our collaborative efforts to be a national model for excellence in service and innovation are being recognized in this way.”