The Fullerton Fire Department brought its ambulance services in-house this month after more than 20 years of contracting with a private ambulance transport service.
Fire officials said the change will create opportunities for aspiring firefighters to work directly alongside department personnel, allowing them to gain hands-on experience and improve their chances in what is often a highly competitive hiring process.
The city joins nine other Orange County fire agencies that operate under a similar city-run ambulance system.
“It is a big deal for a city to be able to deliver that service and have that integrated into the entire deployment,” said Fullerton Fire Chief Adam Loeser, who described the shift as a significant operational milestone for the department.
Fullerton Fire Department ambulance, borrowed from the OCFA, rolls out on a call on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Fullerton Fire Department EMS Manager, Rhonda Rosati, at the station on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Fullerton Fire Department ambulance operator Patrick Manfredi sits inside an ambulance borrowed from OCFA on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The department is starting an in-house service and will be getting seven ambulances, (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Fullerton Fire Department ambulance operator Patrick Manfredi sits inside an ambulance borrowed from OCFA on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. The department is starting an in-house service and will be getting seven ambulances, (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 4Fullerton Fire Department ambulance, borrowed from the OCFA, rolls out on a call on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG) ExpandLoeser said the motivation behind the move was to take responsibility for “the entire response to our citizens” by enhancing continuity of patient care, utilizing resources more efficiently and embracing what he called a “philosophy of recruitment to retirement,” by developing career pathways for EMS workers.
The city was awarded a $3 million federal grant last year that funded the purchase of seven new ambulances and allowed the department to hire 32 ambulance workers directly as city employees, offering both full- and part-time positions.
At station headquarters on Tuesday, 22-year-old ambulance operators Patrick Manfredi and Matthew Remley said they hope to progress from EMTs to firefighter paramedics with the department.
“I was doing EMT work before, but this sees all the calls,” said Remley, who was hired as an ambulance operator last month. “At the place I was at before, it was mainly older folks who just needed a checkup. Here, it’s a lot of street calls. So you get the full experience.”
He said he considered other departments, but ultimately chose Fullerton because he connected with its motto: “Service Above Self.”
“It’s about being something bigger than yourself and being able to help people, having a career where you get to be of service to other people,” added Manfredi, who has worked with the Fullerton Fire Department for two years.
Loeser said the entry-level role allows EMTs to work in the station and “get a glimpse into what the profession entails” and decide if it is a career for them.
He said the department is also in the process of hiring 17 new firefighters, marking the largest new class in the agency’s history.
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