CalFire assistant chief follows dad’s footsteps The legacy of the Machado family and CalFire grew this week with the announcement that Stan Machado has been appointed Tulare Unit Operations assistant chief.
The position of assistant fire chief is nothing new to the Machado family. Stan has followed his father, John Machado’s footsteps to the rank that he has earned.
Assistant Chief John Machado began his career California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) in 1960 and promoted through the ranks as fire captain, battalion chief and forest supervisor of the Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest before achieving the rank of assistant chief in the Tulare Unit. Assistant Chief John Machado held this rank until his retirement in January of 1990.
Chief Stan Machado began his career in 1984 as a seasonal fire fighter in the Tulare Unit. He has worked his way up through CalFire as a fire apparatus engineer working both in the field Battalions and Air Base programs. As a fire captain, he had worked in various program areas which include fire crew captain at both at Owens Valley and Mountain Home Camps in addition to the Unit’s Emergency Command Center.
Chief Machado most recently has held the position of the Fountain Springs battalion chief for the last eight years and has contributed to many programs throughout the Unit and State.
The Machado family has been instrumental in providing fire protection and Forest Management practices to the citizens of Tulare County and throughout the State for over 54 years.