Mother Lode Fire Information – County Info

Calaveras County has fire prevention districts set up, with each responsible for its own set area within the county. CAL Fire helps cover some of the areas that are not normally covered by the Fire Prevention Districts.

The individual Fire Prevention Districts carry out their mission of fire prevention and suppression through the following strategies; The recruitment, training, and retention of qualified employees, the recruitment, training, and retention of professional volunteers, fire and public safety programs to prevent fires that threaten lives, property and the environment and promotes a fire and accident safe community. An ignition management program to mitigate the threat of conflagration, which might otherwise result from an urban/wild land, intermix fire.

The Central Calaveras Fire & Rescue Protection District is a “combination” fire agency established July 1, 1999, staffed by paid firefighters and volunteer firefighters who have chosen a career in the fire service. In addition to fighting fires, the firefighters must deal with a wide range of emergency situations, medical emergencies, vehicle accidents, hazardous material incidents, civil disturbances and natural disasters in the communities of Mokelumne Hill (Headquarters), Glencoe, Mountain Ranch, Rail Road Flat, and Sheep Ranch.

For further information please contact us at Central Calaveras Fire District

The county of Tuolumne contracts with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire), to provide administration and suppression personnel for the Tuolumne County Fire Department. With this “Integrated Fire Protection System”, Tuolumne County fulfills its responsibility to residents for protection of life and property, and CAL Fire provides protection for wildland. TCFD has 10 fire stations, 9 that are staffed by volunteers.

The volunteer firefighter program is the heart of the county´s suppression effort. Volunteers provide 94 % of the department’s staffing needs. Staff from CAL Fire and TCFD train together on a regular basis, under the direction of the Training Division. In an emergency dial 911.

TCFD Jamestown Fire Station 76 runs in excess of 1,700 incidents per year, nearly 5 incidents per day on average, and is a Vietnam War era federal excess Quonset hut and a 12′ x 35′ construction trailer that they rent for $1000+ per month. When the station was staffed in 2012, the construction trailer was meant to be temporary living quarters. Currently, the apparatus bay/Quonset hut serves multiple functions for the full-time career and volunteer firefighters. Not only is it used to park the fire engines, but is also used as a gym for the firefighters to work out to stay strong and healthy to perform their hazardous life-saving work, but also a PPE storage area, supply area, tool maintenance area, and more.

Of TCFD’s fire stations, the oldest was built nearly 80 years ago and has significant interior damage from years of deferred maintenance. Most of the stations were built over 40 years ago and have received little, if any, preventative maintenance or investments in repairs or improvements with a budget for the 10 fire stations under $30,000 per year.  The deferred maintenance list is several million dollars to bring the stations up to today’s standards.

For more information on the Tuolumne County Fire Prevention call 533-5594

The men and women of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire) are dedicated to the fire protection and stewardship of over 31 million acres of California´s privately owned wild lands. In addition, the Department provides varied emergency services in 33 of the State´s 58 counties via contracts with local governments. The Department´s firefighters, fire engines, and aircraft respond to an average 6,400 wild land fires each year. Those fires burn an average of nearly 148,000 acres annually. For more information on the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention please visit the CAL Fire home page

“Safety, Integrity, and Mutual Respect”
The Fire and Aviation Management part of the USDA Forest Service is a diverse group of people working to advance technologies in fire management and suppression, maintain and improve the extremely efficient mobilization and tracking systems in place, and reach out in support of our Federal, State, and International fire partners. Their core values of Safety, Integrity, and Mutual Respect guide their interactions, decision-making, and their care of America´s public lands.

For more information on the U.S. Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management division please visit their website at U.S. Forest Service Fire and Aviation Management Division

“That others may live…”
Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue is a search and rescue unit dedicated to saving lives through search, rescue, and safety education. The team is composed totally of volunteers and is available upon request to help search and rescue problems anywhere in the Tuolumne County area under the authority of the local county sheriff or in other counties under local authority. For more information about Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue visit Tuolumne SAR. In an Emergency, dial 911 and ask for Search and Rescue.

Your local firefighting recruitment team wants to talk to you!
Tuolumne County Fire Department, Columbia Fire Protection District, Jamestown Fire Protection District, Twain Harte Community Services District Fire, Groveland Community Services District Fire, Mi Wuk Sugar Pine Protection District, Sonora City Fire Department Tuolumne Fire Protection District. To fill these boots as a volunteer firefighter call 209-533 5983.

To be a volunteer firefighter, you need to want to do the following:

• Enjoy teamwork that improves your public safety.
• Receive free quality education and training.
• Encounter challenging, adventuresome and rewarding work.
• Get to know your community.
• Educate your community about fire safety.
• Get off to a good start in a fire service career.
• Help in staying fit.
• Experience appreciation for a job well done.
• Firefighter stipend program.
• Retirement benefits.

Help your community by becoming a volunteer firefighter! Call 209-533 5983 Today!