Jess Cortez has done it all at North County Fire Protection District. He joined the department as a reserve firefighter in 1998, and was hired full-time in 2002.
Since then, he’s risen through the ranks, from lieutenant and captain to division chief. When Chief Joel Mendoza retired on Aug. 31, Cortez stepped in the role on an interim basis.
Come Nov. 1, he’ll shed the “interim” label and become the permanent chief.
On Oct. 20, the North County Fire Board of Directors unanimously appointed Cortez as chief.
Cortez thanked the North County Fire crew for their work over the years.
“I’m very grateful and honored to take on this position,” he said during the board’s meeting.
North County Fire covers 125 square miles across Pajaro, Las Lomas, Royal Oaks, Moss Landing, Prunedale and Castroville. The department has three stations, with 30 firefighters, in addition to three division chiefs and Cortez himself.
In recent years, the department has been faced with various disasters in North County, including the 2023 Pajaro flood, which resulted in North County Fire receiving equipment such as a high-water vehicle and rescue boat from a state grant to help respond to future incidents.
The aftermath of the 2025 battery fire in Moss Landing is still being felt, and Monterey County was reminded of that on Sept. 18 when energized batteries slated for removal flared up, causing a shelter-in-place order for the nearby community.
Cortez said during the Oct. 20 meeting that 1,200 batteries burned to ash, while another 1,200 remain in the building. Those are difficult to access for removal, Cortez said, meaning there is always the possibility of the batteries igniting, albeit on a much smaller scale compared to 2025.
Director Peter Scudder credited Cortez’s leadership style.
“You have a calm demeanor even during difficult times,” he told Cortez. “You never appear to be rattled, which is great leadership.”
Cortez will be officially sworn into his position during a ceremony in November.