John Wagner has been associated with the fire service for over 35 years, starting his career as a Seasonal Fire Fighter at age 18 with Cal Fire in the Tuolumne/Calaveras Unit. Since that time he has held positions of Fire Fighter in the Columbia College FD, Rancho Cordova FD, Sacramento County FD and Sacramento Metropolitan FD.
He has worked his way up the ranks including Engineer, Captain, Battalion Chief and retired as an Assistant Chief of Operations with Sacramento Metropolitan FD in charge of the C-Platoon. During this time he was an academy drill instructor, shift Training Officer, detailed to State of California Homeland Security, Division Supervisor & Branch Director for a Type I Incident Management Team (CIIMT3), OPS for a Type III IMT and Training & Safety Chief.
John has been an instructor with the Los Rios College Fire Science Program with a credential in vocation education. He is a CA State Certified Chief Officer & Master Instructor, continuing to deliver instruction in Command and Control, Unified Command, Type III Incident Management Teams as well as Training Instructors.
In 2011 John was President of the CA Chiefs Training Officers Association. He maintains involvement with the group as director at large, planning, assisting and instructing at the annual CA Training Symposium in Fresno. John has an Associates & Bachelors Degree in Fire Science.
John makes his home in Pine Grove, CA with his wife Leanna. They have two adult children, one working as a local veterinary technician and the youngest a lineman for a power company outside Austin TX.