Leading with Commitment

TJ McGovern became Acting Fire Chief of the Orange County Fire Authority on January 3, 2026.

Chief McGovern began his career in 1991 as an Emergency Transport Technician with the San Clemente Fire Department (SCFD). In 1994, he was hired by the Garden Grove Fire Department (GGFD), advancing through the ranks from Firefighter/Paramedic, Fire Captain, and Battalion Chief to Operations Chief, and ultimately Interim Fire Chief – a critical leadership role he held during the 93-year-old department’s transition to the OCFA in 2019.

Since joining the OCFA, Chief McGovern has again ascended the ranks in a variety of leadership roles, including Battalion Chief (B11 and B6); Emergency Duty Officer (EDO); Division Chief of the Emergency Command Center (ECC); Assistant Chief of Field Operations; Deputy Chief of the Emergency Operations Bureau; and, effective January 3, 2026, Acting Fire Chief.

A graduate of one of the most prestigious Fire Chief development programs in the world, IAFC’s Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI), Chief McGovern has served in a variety of leadership roles on major incidents, including as the OCFA Agency Administrator on the 2024 Airport Fire. He is also an active leader on multiple local and state-wide teams, including the FIRESCOPE Operations Team; the Orange County Fire Service Operations Group; the Association of Contract Counties/CAL FIRE Operations Group; and, through an Executive Order from the Governor of California, the Fire Resource Ordering Process Workgroup.

Chief McGovern holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Administration and lives in San Clemente with his wife and two daughters.