Oceanside Fire Department Launches Brush Clearing Crew Program

New part-time 'fuels crew' will provide fire prevention services to agencies across the region

Mar. 30, 2026 at 10:36pm

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A bold, colorful silkscreen-style illustration featuring a fire axe repeated in a grid pattern, conveying the concept of fire prevention and emergency response services.Oceanside's new fire prevention hand crews will provide brush clearing services to local agencies, generating revenue while training the next generation of firefighters.Oceanside Today

The Oceanside Fire Department has started a new program for part-time hand crews that will be shared with agencies throughout the region to clear brush for fire prevention and potentially assist with fighting wildfires. The city has approved $300,000 in seed funding for the program, which aims to be self-sustaining through cost recovery by billing partner agencies for services rendered.

Why it matters

This program provides an innovative training pipeline for new firefighter recruits while also addressing the critical need for year-round brush clearing and fire prevention efforts in fire-prone regions of California. By offering these services to other agencies on a cost-recovery basis, the program has the potential to become self-sustaining and serve as a model for other fire departments.

The details

The new 'fuels crew member' job classification was approved by the Oceanside City Council last year to assist with fire prevention efforts. The city received $100,000 from the San Diego County Neighborhood Reinvestment Program and $35,000 from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation to help launch the program. The crews will initially focus on brush abatement and creating defensible space around city properties, with the goal of eventually training them to respond to active fires.

  • The Oceanside City Council approved the new 'fuels crew member' job classification last year.
  • The city allocated $300,000 in seed funding for the program from Measure X, a voter-approved temporary sales tax.
  • The program launched in March 2026 with the city receiving additional grants to support its implementation.

The players

Oceanside Fire Department

The municipal fire department in Oceanside, California that has created the new part-time brush clearing crew program.

Jess Specht

Deputy Fire Chief of the Oceanside Fire Department who presented the program to the City Council.

Eric Joyce

Oceanside City Councilmember who praised the program as an innovative way to create a pipeline for new firefighters.

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What they’re saying

“The goal is to bill partner agencies for services rendered. Cost recovery will be a big way for this to become a self-sustaining entity.”

— Jess Specht, Deputy Fire Chief

“You have this program … and all of these people want to give you money for it, so that's a really good sign.”

— Eric Joyce, Oceanside City Councilmember

What’s next

The Oceanside Fire Department plans to continue expanding the fuels crew program, with the goal of transitioning the part-time crews to be able to respond to active wildfires after additional training. The department is also working to secure more funding and establish service agreements with other agencies in the region to make the program self-sustaining through cost recovery.

The takeaway

This innovative brush clearing program not only addresses a critical fire prevention need, but also serves as a training pipeline to develop the next generation of firefighters for the Oceanside Fire Department and potentially other agencies across the region. By making the program self-sustaining through cost recovery, Oceanside is setting an example for how fire departments can leverage community partnerships and creative funding sources to tackle complex challenges.