Joe Garcia Fire Chief

October 23, 2011 to January 8, 2016

Chief Garcia brings 38 years of State and Tulare County service and experience.  He began his fire service career in 1974 as a Paid Call Fire Fighter with Tulare County Fire Department’s Terra Bella Station.  Chief Garcia also worked as a firefighter at Porterville Developmental Center Fire Department from 1976 to 1982.

Chief Garcia joined the California State Fire Marshal Office in 1982 as a Deputy State Fire Marshal.  He promoted through the ranks up to Division Chief.  Ultimately, he retired from the State Fire Marshal’s Office in 2006 as the Division Chief for Code Enforcement – South. In that position, Chief Garcia managed all Code Enforcement activities from the Madera County line to the Mexican border.  Chief Garcia accepted the position of Fire Prevention and Investigation Division Chief in 2006 with the Tulare County Fire Department when it was formed as a new department.

Chief Garcia holds a BS degree in Business Administration and has an extensive background in code enforcement and code development.  He chaired or participated in SFM committees that created current fire and life safety regulations in residential care facilities, assisted living facilities, health care facilities, community correctional re-entry centers, winery caves, research laboratories, fixed/guideway transit systems, and wild land urban interface.  Prior to retirement with the State Fire Marshal’s Office he chaired the State Fire Marshal Internal Working Group for the adoption of the International Building and Fire Codes that are currently utilized by all fire and building departments statewide.

On October 23, 2011, Chief Garcia was appointed as the new Tulare County Fire Department Chief.  He is a proponent of community service and relations, organizational management and fiscal responsibility.