The Chula Vista Fire Department (CVFD) – Youth Service Corps – Fuels Crew Program offers young adults a unique, paid opportunity to kickstart a career in the fire service. As a Fuels Crew member, you’ll work alongside experienced firefighters, gaining hands-on experience while supporting Chula Vista’s wildfire prevention and hazard mitigation efforts. This program not only provides meaningful employment, but also includes training, certifications, and career development support that can lead to becoming a credentialed firefighter in California. Participants will grow through mentorship, build discipline and life skills, and make a lasting impact on their community.

 

Fuels Crew - Limited Term Positions

The Chula Vista Fire Department has openings available for candidates interested in joining the Fuels Crew.  The positions are grant funded through the #CaliforniansForAll Youth Service Corps. The Youth Service Corps Grant funds must be expended by December 2026. All positions made available under this grant are limited-term positions and will end no later than December 31, 2026.

The specific term of employment will be clearly stated in an official pre-employment conditional job offer. All prospective employees must sign a final job offer letter prior to the first day of employment.

 

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the CVFD Fuels Crew position, applicants must be between 18-30 years of age on their hire date AND meet at least two (2) of the criteria below:

• Have not participated in an AmeriCorps program
• May have difficulty finding employment
• Are low-income
• Are unemployed and/or out of school
• Are or were justice-involved
• Are in or transitioning from foster care
• Are engaged with the mental health or substance abuse system
• Are unhoused/housing insecure/at risk of becoming unhoused

Supplemental application questions will require applicants to certify that they meet two of the above criteria.

 

Work Schedule

• Minimum 10 hours per day, Monday thru Thursday
• Up to 40 hours per week,
• All workdays begin at 6:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.

 

Working on a Fuels Crew – A “Typical" Day

Each day begins bright and early, with CVFD Fuels Crew Members reporting to Fire Station 4 by 6:30 a.m. sharp. The morning kicks off with a structured group workout focused on building strength, endurance, and team cohesion, followed by a recovery and cool-down session. After physical training, the crew gathers for a daily briefing to review the day’s assignments or training schedule.

If field deployment is planned, crew members prepare by loading tools, equipment, and supplies before heading out to the designated worksite. On the job, crew members operate as a cohesive unit—sharing tasks, managing equipment, and working together to complete fuel reduction and wildfire mitigation projects. Training days vary and may involve hands-on field exercises or classroom-based instruction, with all crew members playing a role in preparing materials and supporting smooth training operations. Every day offers new challenges and opportunities to grow as a team and as future fire service professionals.

 

About the City, the Fire Department, and the Fuels Crew Mission

The Chula Vista Fire Department holds a rich tradition of service since its establishment on May 21, 1921. The Department and the City of Chula Vista continue to grow and expand. The Department offers exciting career opportunities in a dynamic and positive environment.

The Chula Vista Fire Department is comprised of more than 250 highly trained, professional men and women. Currently, the City's ten fire station network responds to more than 30,000 calls for service annually, while serving a population of over 280,000, covering an area of over 52 square miles. The City of Chula Vista has many amenities to offer its residents, including access to more than 30 undeveloped open space areas and other preserves that maintain the region’s natural vegetation. Open space areas provide the public with active and passive recreational opportunities and provide the community access to the natural beauty of the land, and observe its undisturbed resources and wildlife. 

 

In these areas threat of vegetation fires is significant, in what is commonly referred to as the wildland-urban interface (WUI).  The WUI must be maintained to ensure a healthy environment as well as reduce the wildfire risk to the public.  The City of Chula Vista is committed to reducing the wildfire hazard through a vegetation management program and hazardous fuels reduction projects.

The Chula Vista Fire Department operates a Fuels Crew with a primary mission of reducing the amount of vegetative biomass within the City’s open space and canyon areas. Personnel are trained in proper vegetation management techniques and the use of hand tools, power tools, and some heavy equipment. In coordination with open space environmental professionals and biologists, the Fuels Crew members work together to implement prescribed vegetation treatment plans throughout the city. Fuels Crew members work directly for the Chula Vista Fire Department, and these positions have proven to be a gateway to full-time employment as EMTs, Paramedics, and Firefighters.

For more information on the CVFD Fuels Crew, please click the link below.

Chula Vista Fire Department Hand Crew | City of Chula Vista

 

 

 

 

 

 

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