North County’s fire chief retires after 28 years with the department.

Joel Mendoza remembers walking by Watsonville’s Fire Station 1 in 1995 and chatting with a firefighter who was outside.

Mendoza says he was always intrigued by the work of firefighters and law enforcement officers, so he asked the Watsonville firefighter what it would take to work there.

Mere months later, Mendoza was hired as a paid call firefighter with the department, and in 1998, he joined North County Fire Protection District, working his way up the ranks to chief. 

It’s a memory Mendoza has been thinking about recently, as he reflects on his career in the fire service. On Aug. 31, Mendoza retired, wrapping up 28 years with North County Fire.

Since 2021, Mendoza has led North County Fire as chief, overseeing a department that 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 Mendoza himself.

“What an outstanding community we serve,” he says. “I come into work every day and I feel welcomed.”

What stands out to Mendoza about North County Fire is the people who make up the department, many of whom have grown up in North County and now serve their hometown communities. As such, “It’s rare for anyone to leave this agency,” Mendoza notes.

Mendoza’s time as chief has been an eventful period for the department, including the 2023 Pajaro flood and 2025 battery fire in Moss Landing.

He has also witnessed the growth of North County since the late 1990s. According to Mendoza, the department received about 1,600 calls for service annually when he started; now, that number is close to 4,000.

As of Sept. 1, Jess Cortez has filled the role of interim fire chief. Cortez, a division chief with North County Fire, joined the department the same time as Mendoza and has also worked his way up the ranks.

Cortez says he has put his hat in the ring to become the permanent chief. The North County Fire Protection District Board of Directors will begin searching for the next chief after discussing the matter on Aug. 18.