James Suvak

My name is James Suvak and I am applying for the position of Fire Apparatus Engineer in the San Benito-Monterey Unit of CAL FIRE. I believe I am the right person for the job because I am knowledgeable, hard-working, respectful, driven, and truly enjoy sharing my knowledge and positive attitude with others. I have been fortunate to have spent the past three seasons working in BEU at the Hollister Air Attack Base developing my skills both as a firefighter and a leader. Working with Helitack has allowed me to explore all throughout our unit over the years and this experience has made BEU feel like home to me. While I still have so much to learn, I have come to recognize that I have so much that I can teach. I want to be a Fire Apparatus Engineer in BEU so that I can motivate and shape the minds of the next generation to continue to push our unit toward excellence.

I began developing myself for this position long before I knew CAL FIRE even existed. I attended St. Edward High School in Cleveland, Ohio where I was the captain of the 3x state champion and national runner-up wrestling team. This, along with my hard-work in the classroom, opened the door for me to attend The University of Virginia on a wrestling scholarship. While attending UVA, I studied kinesiology because I have always had a significant interest in exercise and fitness. After college, I spent several years working various roles in the fitness industry. I taught college courses on weight lifting at UVA and adaptive physical education for individuals with disabilities in a high school, did personal training, led group fitness classes and even owned an exercise programming company with my brother for several years. During this time exploring careers, I moved out to California where I was first exposed to two things I have come to love: surfing and wildland firefighting. I spent my first couple years in California falling in love with the ocean and eventually came to learn about the field of wildland firefighting- both of which don’t really exist in Ohio growing up.

I believe this short glimpse into my past says a lot about why I feel I would be a great asset here in BEU. Being the captain of an elite high school wrestling team demonstrates my ability to lead a tough group of individuals through extremely challenging circumstances. The University of Virginia is one of the most academically challenging universities in the country- this I did not take for granted. The education I received during my time studying for my bachelor's degree in kinesiology has laid the groundwork for my passion working as a Unit Physical Fitness Coordinator (UPFC) for San Benito-Monterey Unit. I strive to continue to grow and expand my role as a UPFC member to serve my brothers and sisters in the unit by educating those around me on the innate health risks we face in this job and how we can mitigate our risk for them. Surfing and my love for the ocean has pushed me to want to stay near it- I am very happy and comfortable being in the ocean in all kinds of conditions. This has driven me to become rescue swimmer and rescue watercraft operator here in BEU- a passion I feel incredibly fortunate that I'm able to pursue here.

I have been pursing my passions of teaching fitness and learning surf rescue while working at the Hollister Air Attack base where I have been indulging my passion for Helitack as well. At HAAB, I have grown so much as a firefighter and have been exposed to so many different facets of wildland firefighting that make me a well-rounded candidate for the position. On the airbase side, i have worked mixing and loading retardant into planes as well as in the tower communicating aircraft activity with North Ops, South Ops, and various ECC’s. Additionally, I am IC of the kitchen- responsible for the ordering and upkeep of meat, produce, and all other grocery items to feed 25 individuals 3 times a day- with the goal of minimizing waste, maintaining cost efficiency, and ensuring all kitchen SOP’s are being abided by so nobody becomes ill or injured in the kitchen. This responsibility was dawned onto me after being elected 2024 Cook of the Year and is a responsibility I take great pride in holding. On the helitack side of operations at HAAB, I have been trained in fire suppression tactics and have become a rescuer for Air-Rescue operations. I have worked as a HECM trainee at helibases and have been involved with setting up and participating in torch base operations.

I want to be a Fire Apparatus Engineer because I want the opportunity to be the change that I want to see in this department. I think I am a quality option for this role because I have demonstrated that I will work hard to chase my passions and never stop improving at them, but most importantly, I want those around me to do the same. San Benito-Monterey has so many avenues for me to pursue my passions and provide value to the unit in the process. Thank you for considering me for the position of Fire Apparatus Engineer in the San Benito-Monterey Unit.

• Basic Helicopter Operations and Safety (BHOS)
• Airbase Operations and Safety (ABOS)
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
• Adult & Pediatric CPR/AED from Red Cross
• Firefighter Survival
• Rapid Intervention Crew Operations
• HAZMAT FRA/FRO
• Wildland Safety & Survival
• NFPA 1001 Search & Rescue
• Confined Space Rescue Awareness
• Basic Fire Control & Chemistry
• Low Angle Rope Rescue Operational
• IFSAC Proboard FF1
• S-190
• S-290
• L-180
• ICS 300