Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy will retire from the agency after the turn of the new year and has tentatively accepted a federal position, according to a memo sent out Friday night and obtained by the Southern California News Group.

Fennessy, who has served as OCFA chief for nearly eight years, said he has tentatively accepted a director role with the newly created United States Wildland Fire Service, pending completion of a federal onboarding process.

“Serving alongside you has been the greatest honor of my career,” Fennessy wrote. “Day in and day out, you have exemplified what it means to be an all-hazard, mission-driven organization – protecting lives and property with professionalism, compassion, and relentless commitment. The pride I feel in our team’s operational

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