Garrett Needles

 
CAL FIRE/Butte County Fire Department
Title: Division Chief, Administration, D2102
Garrett Needles, Assistant Chief, Headshot


My work in the fire service began in 1993 with Butte County Fire Department North Chico Volunteer Company 42. At the same time, I worked for the U.S. Forest Service on a Mendocino OC hand crew based in Willows. I began my career with CDF in the Lassen-Modoc Unit as a seasonal firefighter in 1994, working at the Bieber Station for two seasons before being offered a job in the Butte Unit in Forest Ranch (Station 24) in 1996. I moved into a 9-month position in Biggs (Station 73) in late 1996 and stayed in Battalion 7, moving between Palermo, Biggs and Gridley before becoming a permanent Firefighter II in 2000 in Gridley (Station 74). I worked as a LT Engineer in Battalion 2 and Battalion 7 before obtaining permanent Engineer status in 2002, assigned to Station 35 (Paradise) in Battalion 1. I was promoted to permanent captain in the summer of 2008, assigned to Magalia’s Upper Ridge (Station 33) before transferring to the Butte Unit’s Training Bureau as the Volunteer Training Coordinator. In January 2015, I earned a promotion to Limited Term Battalion Chief in the Training Bureau. In January 2017, I became a field Battalion Chief, first supervising Battalion 2, then Battalion 4. In July 2021, I promoted to Assistant Chief, overseeing the Administration Division which includes fleet management, the service center, the emergency command center, and all personnel support services.

 

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