About Us
John Owens
John Owens started his career as a student firefighter with the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District in 1980. He joined the USAF in 1981 and worked as a military firefighter in Italy, Louisiana and Nevada. After his four years on active duty he went to work as a civilian Federal firefighter with the United States Air Force and United States Navy. In 1998 he left the federal fire service to take a Firefighter II position with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) in the Riverside Unit. In 2000 he promoted to Fire Apparatus Engineer in the San Luis Obispo Unit working out of the Paso Robles Station. Promoted to Fire Captain in 2002 he was then assigned to the Shandon Forest Fire station until November of 2006 when he transferred to the Training Division in the San Benito Monterey unit.
John possesses an A.S. degree in Fire Science and holds both California and IFSAC certifications as a Fire Officer, Fire Instructor, Driver Operator and ARFF Firefighter. He is also an adjunct Fire Science Instructor with San Diego Miramar College and a Senior Rescue Systems 1 instructor. He has also taught at the Fire Instructors Symposium and Firehouse World Expo.
John’s diverse background in firefighting has led him in many directions but he believes it all comes back to good quality training as a strong foundation.
- Fire Captain Owens can be contacted at:
- John.Owens@fire.ca.gov
- 2221 Garden Rd.
- Monterey, CA 93940
- (831) 333-2600
There are no great men.
There are only great challenges
that ordinary men are forced by
circumstances to meet.