Vista Fire Rescue

Congratulations to Vista Fire Rescue EMTS Diego Perez, Noah Ketchum, Dylan Bergman and Fire Cadet Fletcher Golden on their successful completion of the Palomar College Fire Academy! Pictured with the group is Vista Fire Captain Justin Golden- Fletchers proud father!

Congratulations to Firefighter/Paramedic Spencer Williams on successfully completing his module two probationary test! Keep up the hard work!

There is a vegetation fire with multiple crews working, in the area of Gopher Canyon and Fairview Drive. There will be visible smoke in the area. Expect road closures on Gopher Canyon Drive and streets in the area. Please avoid the area.

Firefighter Austin Rooke has completed his academy, and received his badge yesterday. Now he “hits the floor” and begins his probationary year. Congratulations, and we all welcome you!

Today was Deputy Chief Bret Davidsons last day with Vista Fire Rescue. We wish him the best of luck in his new role as Fire Chief for the cities of Solana Beach and Del Mar! Thank you for all of your work Chief Davidson, and we wish you the very best of everything in your new job!

Remembering Andy Valenta. Today, April 25, 2026, marks the five-year anniversary of Andy’s passing. Not a day goes by in any of our fire stations without his name being mentioned or a favorite Andy story being shared and passed down to our newer firefighters. He may be gone, but he will forever be remembered.

The purpose of the Vista Fire Rescue Cadet Program is to introduce young individuals to various aspects of the fire service while developing important character traits. Fire Chief Gerard Washington welcomed our new cadets and their families to Vista Fire Rescue yesterday at an orientation held at Fire Station 5. Firefighter/Paramedic Matt Doyle introduced each new cadet and presented them with their official bag.
 
Our current cadets gave the incoming members and their families a look at what the program involves. We ended the orientation the way we end every day at the fire station: around tables, eating and getting to know our cadets and their families. Welcome aboard, everyone!

provide our data analysis, emergency medical dispatch instructions, assign Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) units to every call, but most importantly are the calm voice you hear when you have an emergency and call 911.
Vista Fire Rescue appreciates them every day. It is Dispatcher Appreciation Week this week, and we showed up to cook them pizza, hand out swag bags, and to let all of our dispatchers know that we appreciate them always.

Vista Fire Rescue would like to welcome one of our own into his new role as a firefighter paramedic!
Austin Rooke is from Southern California, but came to us from Florida (where he worked as a firefighter). He attended the fire academy at Palomar College, and began working with us as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) about three years ago. Austin recently graduated paramedic school at Southwestern College.
Austin is in the middle of his fire academy with us. We are excited to have him on board!