Fire Department · Combination
Garden Valley Fire Protection District
Garden Valley, CA · El Dorado County
Automatic and mutual aid coverage extends across 400+ square miles to more than 25,000 people beyond the district's primary 60-square-mile, 8,100-resident service area.
No active openings right now
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Department careers page ↗Garden Valley Fire Protection District is a combination volunteer/career agency covering roughly 60 square miles and about 8,100 residents in the Sierra Nevada foothills of El Dorado County, between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. Through automatic and mutual aid agreements, the district also extends coverage across more than 400 square miles serving over 25,000 people, responding to roughly 160 mutual and automatic aid calls a year in addition to its own fire, rescue, and non-transport ALS medical response duties.
The district's coverage area sits on ground with deep California history, having originally been settled as the Gold Rush-era town of Johnstown, with its southern border overlooking Coloma's Gold Discovery Park, the site of the 1848 discovery that touched off the Gold Rush. Today the district operates out of three stations, one staffed and two volunteer, running two engines, a water tender, a Type 6 engine, and command/utility vehicles, with a captain and chief officer on duty 24/7 supplemented by a volunteer roster. Beyond emergency response, the district runs a Junior Firefighter Safety Camp and a dedicated wildfire fuels reduction crew to address defensible space and vegetation risk across its rural service area.
Garden Valley Fire Protection District currently has no open career firefighter positions, but continuously recruits for its Fuels Crew Technician role and for volunteer firefighters and community volunteers. Volunteers train and respond alongside career staff, making the volunteer path a common route into the district.
Requirements
- Strong physical fitness for outdoor field work in all weather (Fuels Crew Technician)
- Ability to operate chainsaws, chippers, and other power tools (Fuels Crew Technician)
- Positive attitude and demonstrated commitment to safety
- Experience with prescribed/controlled burning desirable but not required
Hiring process
- Complete the district's fillable Employment Application PDF
- Submit application to the district for review
Does Garden Valley Fire Protection District hire firefighters year-round?
The district currently has no open career firefighter positions but continuously accepts applications for its Fuels Crew Technician position and for volunteer firefighters.
How do I become a volunteer firefighter with Garden Valley Fire Protection District?
Volunteer firefighters train and respond alongside career staff. Interested applicants can submit the volunteer firefighter application available on the district's Job Opportunities page.
What is a Fuels Crew Technician at Garden Valley Fire Protection District?
It's a hands-on wildfire risk reduction role involving chainsaw operation, tree felling, mechanical thinning, chipping, and controlled burning, open on a continuous basis and requiring strong physical fitness and a safety-first attitude.
How large is Garden Valley Fire Protection District?
The district directly serves about 8,100 people across roughly 60 square miles, and extends automatic and mutual aid coverage across more than 400 square miles to over 25,000 people, operating from three stations with two engines, a water tender, a Type 6 engine, and command vehicles.