Influential Salinas firefighter Joshua Hostetter dies after 23 years of service at age 49.

Joshua “Hos” Hostetter spent 23 years, nearly all of his adult life, working for the Salinas Fire Department.

“We are forever grateful for Josh’s 23 years of service, his leadership, and the countless lives he touched,” the Salinas Firefighters Association said in a statement. “His legacy of love, dedication and service will continue to inspire us all.

“A firefighter, engineer and leader, Josh devoted his life to serving the Salinas community with selflessness and compassion.”

He died unexpectedly on Sept. 10 at age 49. The cause of death is pending an investigation by the coroner’s office.

Hostetter was a lifelong firefighter known for his reliability as a team member, and also a union leader who wielded considerable influence both locally and at the state level. He was the longtime president of the Salinas Firefighters Association and was a relentless advocate on behalf of their union, the IAFF Local 1270. 

He could be a relentless bulldog in negotiations, but was also known among his colleagues for his empathy. He befriended members of Salinas City Council, instead of viewing them as adversaries in negotiations. 

Jesus Ramirez succeeded Hostetter as president of the Local 1270 and was sworn in on Aug. 1, after serving alongside his predecessor for four years on the executive board. “There was a lot of knowledge sharing,” Ramirez says. “He coached me, and took me under his wing. He was an incredible mentor.” 

He was known for mentoring younger firefighters new to the profession. “There are probably well over a couple dozen people who owe Josh their jobs,” says recently retired Salinas Fire Capt. Edward Lauderdale. “If you have a young kid looking to start in the fire service and you’re going through the testing process and interviews, I would direct people to talk to Josh.”

Lauderdale, also a paramedic, was a captain supervising Hostetter, an engineer responsible for operating fire engines, on a range of calls over many years. 

“Josh was someone you didn’t have to worry about,” Lauderdale says. “When the call came in, if he didn’t know where the address was, he would look on the maps on the board and he would have it mapped out in his head before he got on the engine. If he wasn’t quite sure he wouldn’t keep it to himself, he’d say, ‘I might need a little help getting to this address.’” 

The same kind of reliability applied on calls, Lauderdale says—before you could ask for hose, it would be in position, or a tool for breaking in a door during a structure fire would be readied, for example. 

“He was just a cool cucumber. He was somebody that you could count on,” Lauderdale adds. “If he said he was going to do something, he would do it, no ifs ands or buts.”

He developed a reputation in the fire department as an adviser through tough times, both professional and personal; he offered wisdom and was known as an excellent communicator.

Lauderdale also praises Hostetter’s fluency in Spanish, and says that as a paramedic, he relied on the engineer to help interpret, assisting both patients and paramedics through stressful moments.

Hostetter also served on the Critical Incident Stress Management Team, helping to support other first responders after they dealt with traumatic incidents. 

In April, just a few months before he died, Hostetter was recognized by the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce as Citizen of the Year. 

His spirit of service extended beyond the fire station. Lauderdale recalls him coaching multiple sports teams, including stepping in at the last minute to coach a boys baseball team, even though he had no children on the team. It was commitment he maintained for several years. 

“He had positive relationships with everyone he interacted with,” Lauderdale says.

Hostetter’s career path was obvious early on, according to a statement from his union colleagues. Inspired by his grandfather and uncle, both firefighters, Hostetter entered into the career path as a high school student, starting in the regional occupation program in Grass Valley. He then moved to Monterey County and spent three seasons working for Cal Fire before joining the Salinas Fire Department in 2002, where he spent the rest of his career. 

Hostetter is survived by Angel, his wife of 21 years, and their four daughters, Samantha, Bailey, Kylee and Abigail. 

His union colleagues are raising funds for his family.