Over two decades ago, tucked in the rural heart of Yolo County’s Capay Valley, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation embarked on a new endeavor to protect its citizens and the surrounding region.
In 2004 the Yocha Dehe Fire Department was founded, and today stands as a 36-member organization providing a range of internationally-recognized fire, first aid and rescue services.
Fire Chief Shawn Kinney first joined the Yocha Dehe Fire Department in 2015, and has led the agency since 2023. He recently spoke with Insight Host Vicki Gonzalez about the department’s journey.
Kinney said before the Yocha Dehe Fire Department was established the only emergency services operating in the Capay Valley were volunteer departments, which came with limitations due to the area’s remoteness.
“The response times are going to be difficult,” Kinney said. “Training is going to be difficult, getting advanced life support is going to be difficult.”
In response to these challenges, Kinney said tribal leaders envisioned a department that could provide both fire and paramedic services. They also decided from the onset that this agency would achieve the highest standard of service.
“They didn’t want to just have a fire department that would meet the minimums, they wanted to be the best.” Kinney said. “The [Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation] wanted to be world class, and they took the opportunity to do that.”
To meet this world-class goal the Yocha Dehe Fire Department was built from the ground up to be accredited. It became the first Native American fire department to earn accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International in 2010, and renewed that standing in 2015 and 2020.
Kinney said the department must meet over 200 performance indicators to earn this distinction, as well as show continuous improvement. He said only around 300 fire departments in the world have received accreditation, including a handful in California, but Yocha Dehe remains the only tribal department among them.
“It sets a bar,” Kinney said, noting that Yocha Dehe is working on getting reaccredited a fourth time this year. “If you want to say that you're going to be world class, you're going to serve your community, you're going to serve your citizens, it’s what you're going to do.”
A Yocha Dehe Fire Department engine stands outside Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks Wednesday, March 26, 2025.Sarit Laschinsky/CapRadioIn addition to providing top-tier service, the Yocha Dehe Fire Department is also adapting the way it fights fires by bringing back traditional practices and knowledge, like cultural burning.
Kinney said the department held its first cultural burn approximately two years ago, the first one in over a century, and works in collaboration with the Tribe’s cultural department.
“It’s about being good to the land,” he said. “It’s about taking your time, doing it right, doing it slow.”
Kinney called the return of traditional fire practices “personal” for the Tribe. He noted that despite being used by Native American communities for centuries, cultural burns were prohibited by California’s fire strategies during the 20th century, which focused heavily on suppression.
These historical practices, Kinney said, have yielded “unhealthy” forests and environments. But he hopes that by reincorporating traditional knowledge, Yocha Dehe can start healing the landscape instead.
“If we can get ahead, and we can use cultural burning practices to develop shaded fuel breaks and healthy forests so there isn’t going to be a catastrophic firestorm… it’s really the goal of this,” Kinney said.
“It’s going to take a long, long time to do… but it’s a will of the Tribe that’s going to happen.”
Statewide deployments and supporting neighbors
Kinney also talked about the reach of the Yocha Dehe Fire Department beyond the Capay Valley, noting that over 40% of its calls come from outside the area. He said the department’s statewide responses included the Tubbs Fire in 2017 and the LNU Lightning Complex Fires in 2020.
“Partner agencies, counties, governments are becoming more and more strapped,” Kinney said. “Tribal fire departments in particular now are becoming more and more a piece of the puzzle because of the resource needs.”
In early January Yocha Dehe deployed as part of a Yolo County strike team to the Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles area, providing structure protection, command and fire suppression services.
A Yocha Dehe Fire Department brush truck responds to the Eaton Fire in January 2025.Courtesy of the Yocha Dehe Fire Department
“Wildland firefighting and the ability to get out within a few hours notice… get down there and become a piece of it is really the strategy not just for the state of California, but how we work locally as well,” Kinney said.
“We all need each other, and we're all part of not just our local community, but the greater community.” Kinney said.
As part of its mutual aid commitment, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation also put a focus on fundraising and outfitting local emergency services with newer equipment. The Yocha Dehe Fire Department also built a shared regional training site and regularly practices with its partners.
“I know the County of Yolo is seeing less and less money, and in the face of this the Tribe has continued to contribute to our partners,” Kinney said.
According to tribal officials,Yocha Dehe’s Doyuti T’uhkama & Community Fund has provided almost $3 million to 20 neighboring fire departments for emergency gear, equipment and vehicles. The Tribe has also provided more than $1 million to help with fire recovery efforts.
“Part of this giving back is that if we help our neighbors… then they’re going to be able to help us too,” Kinney said.
Commitment to community
Local pride in the Yocha Dehe Fire Department was recently on display during the department’s 16th annual Fire Awards Ceremony, held at Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks.
Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts spoke about the department’s creation, and what it meant for the Tribe’s future.
“The cornerstone of what we do, and the reason why we make the decisions and work so hard, is for our future generations and our grandchildren and nieces and nephews,” Roberts said. “I think the contributions we made are the cornerstone of our success in the future.”
Anthony Roberts, Tribal Chairman of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, gestures to the audience during the 16th annual Fire Awards Ceremony Wednesday, March 26, 2025.Sarit Laschinsky/CapRadioRoberts praised the commitment of the fire department’s staff - past and present - along with the partnerships with other regional organizations.
“We're incredibly proud of what the department has achieved to this point,” Roberts said, “but we didn't do this alone.”
“Your service to the community is deeply appreciated, and your support for the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation never goes unnoticed.”
The ceremony featured the badge pinnings of three new Yocha Dehe firefighters - Mark Maguire, Riley Dupont and Jack McGowan.
Tribal leaders also presented their Legacy Leadership Award to another Native American department - Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Fire Crew 42.
Yocha Dehe leaders present the 2025 Legacy Leadership Award to Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Fire Crew 42 during the 16th annual Fire Awards Ceremony Wednesday, March 26, 2025.Sarit Laschinsky/CapRadio
“They work tirelessly delivering the best protection from the adverse effects of fire, emergencies, and the dangerous conditions created by both man and nature,” Yocha Dehe Tribal Councilmember Yvonne Perkins said during the award’s presentation. “They have partnered with us, and stood beside us in the line of fire... your dedication to the department and your Tribe truly makes a difference.”
Kinney said while Yocha Dehe is currently the only tribal fire department with this top-tier accreditation, he hoped others would be able to earn that standing in the near future.
He also reflected on how the department was not only an emergency service, but also a symbol of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation’s values.
“Each of you has shared a vision in carrying on the values that have made this department successful,” Kinney said. “You too are part of the ‘we.’ You’re part of our community.”
