Fire Department · Career
Yuba City Fire Department
Yuba City, CA · Sutter County
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Department careers page ↗Yuba City Fire Department traces its roots to 1909, when the City Council appointed a volunteer fire chief and outfitted a squad with hose carts and nozzles after a 1907 downtown fire pushed the community toward incorporation. The department grew alongside the city through the 20th century, adding Stations 2 and 3 in 1979 and 1993, and expanded significantly in 2001 when the Walton Fire Protection District merged in, bringing Stations 4 and 7 into the fold and extending coverage into unincorporated Sutter County. The department marked its centennial in 2009 and has continued to modernize since, including new SAFER-grant staffing and a 2023 upgrade to 4-person ladder truck staffing.
Today the department is led by Fire Chief Joshua Hubbard alongside a Division Chief of Operations and three Battalion Chiefs, each commanding a shift on a 48/96 rotation. Roughly 45 line firefighters staff five first-out engine companies out of five stations housing 17 total pieces of apparatus, including a ladder truck, a Type III wildland engine, a water tender, a regional HazMat unit, and water-rescue equipment such as jet skis and a rescue boat.
Beyond structural and wildland fire suppression, crews handle the bulk of the city's medical emergency calls and maintain specialty capabilities in hazardous materials response, Advanced Technical Rescue (ATR), and a Tactical EMS (TEMS) team that supports the Yuba-Sutter Regional SWAT team. A Fire Marshal and two fire safety inspectors run the Prevention Bureau, handling code inspections, plan review, and community fire-safety education. The department describes its guiding culture as its "Four Pillars": Perspective, Selflessness, Servant's Heart, and Perfect Effort.
MissionThe Mission of the Yuba City Fire Department is to protect life, property and the environment, through effective fire prevention and emergency management.
Fire Department openings are recruited through the City of Yuba City's centralized Human Resources process. Job announcements are posted online (and via local media, job boards, and mailing lists), and qualified applicants typically move through a written test, practical exercise, and panel interview before a background check; results place candidates on a certified eligibility list from which the department interviews and hires.
Hiring process
- Submit an online application through the City's job portal (NEOGOV) during the posted opening/closing window
- Written test
- Practical exercise
- Panel interview
- Placement on a certified eligibility list based on assessment results
- Department interview and background check
- Hiring decision
How many fire stations does Yuba City Fire Department operate?
Five stations located throughout the city, housing a combined 17 pieces of fire apparatus.
What shift schedule do firefighters work?
A 48/96 shift rotation across three shifts, each overseen by a Battalion Chief.
What specialty response capabilities does the department maintain?
Advanced Technical Rescue (ATR), a regional HazMat unit (one of only twelve State Type II HazMat vehicles in California), a Tactical EMS (TEMS) team supporting the Yuba-Sutter Regional SWAT team, and water rescue equipment including jet skis and a rescue boat.
How do I apply for a job with the department?
Through the City of Yuba City's online career portal; most public safety recruitments include a written test, practical exercise, panel interview, and background check, with hires drawn from a certified eligibility list.
When was the department founded?
1909, when the City Council appointed a volunteer fire chief and purchased hose carts and nozzles; the department celebrated its centennial in 2009.