Joe Tyler

Chief Tyler began his career with CAL FIRE in 1990 as a Fire Fighter in the Shasta Trinity Unit. Since then, he has worked in the Riverside Unit, Amador El Dorado Unit, and Statewide Training Program in various operational classifications in Schedule A and Schedule B, including fire stations, training bureaus and programs, camps, safety programs, and as an Administrative Officer and Staff Chief. Prior to his appointment to Deputy Director, Chief Tyler served as the Assistant Deputy Director of Fire Protection with oversight of Law Enforcement/Civil Cost Recovery, Fire Protection Operations, Aviation Management, Tactical Air Operations, and Mobile Equipment. In addition to those programs referenced just prior, he now also oversees Training, Safety, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Local/State/Federal Programs, and Hand Crew Programs.

Chief Tyler serves as the Department representative on the California Wildland Coordinating Group, National Association of State Forester’s Wildland Fire Committee, Western States Fire Managers and has served on several Statewide committees and cadres, most recently leading a work group in the acquisition of a new fleet of helicopters and C-130 air tankers. He is qualified as an Agency Administrator, Incident Commander – Type 1, Safety Officer, and an Operations Section Chief. He was a member of CAL FIRE Incident Management Teams from 2005 through 2014, last holding the position of Deputy Incident Commander on CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 3 until his promotion to Staff Chief.