Our Professional Consultant

Read about how Cary Gloeckner, Firescape's owner and primary consultant, came to become a professional firefighter and how his expertise can help you to protect your home from wildfire.

Cary was born and raised in Northern California. His father spent 30 years in the fire service as a Firefighter, Captain and finally a Battalion Chief. His mother was a grade school teacher and homemaker. Cary spent much of his time working on the 5,000 acre sheep ranch in the mountains of Northern Sonoma County. This upbringing exposed him to many hours of hard work and learning many technical skills (chainsaws and tree felling, fence mending, dozer operation, tractor mowing and discing, building construction and control burning methods to name just a few).

Cary graduated from High school in 1990 and immediately attended Santa Rosa Junior College where he started studies on G.E. requirements and Fire Science. After receiving and Associates degree in Fire Science from the Santa Rosa J.C., Cary moved on to Sonoma State University where, in 2000, he attained a Bachelors of Science degree with a focus on Human Resource Management and Training Development.

During the late 1990’s and up to 2007, Cary has taken approximately 80+ fire classes resulting in the following key certificates. State of California Fire Marshal’s Office: Certified Fire Fighter 1, Certified Fire Fighter 2, Certified Fire Officer, Certified Chief Officer. National Wildfire Coordinating Group Certificates: Wildland Firefighter 1, Basic wildland fire behavior (S190), Intermediate wildland fire behavior (S290), Advanced wildland fire behavior calculations (S-390), Firing methods and procedures (S-234), Wildland Fire Crew Boss (S-230 and S-231), Air Operations (S-270), Wildfire Power Saws (S-212), Fire Operations in the Urban Interface (S-215), Wildfire Suppression Tactics (S-336), Incident Command System ICS 100, ICS 200, ICS 300 and ICS 400. Cary was also one of the first graduates of “The Defensible Space Evaluator Course” in 2006. This course resulted in a contract with the County of Napa for defensible space evaluations which has been extended through 2007.

In 1990, Cary joined the Gold Ridge Fire Protection District as a volunteer fire fighter. Since that time he has promoted to the positions of Volunteer Fire Engineer and then to Volunteer Fire Captain and still serves, from time to time, as a fill-in Acting Battalion Chief when needed.

Cary started his career in the fire service with CDF (Cal Fire) in the summer of 1992 and worked at the Cazadero Station in Sonoma County. At the end of that summer he was hired “full-time” with the City of Sausalito Fire Department as a Firefighter. In 1998, Cary was promoted to the position of Fire Lieutenant. In 2000, Cary was promoted to the position of Fire Captain.

Cary’s volunteer and paid structural firefighting experience is full and well rounded. Cary responded to the 3rd Alarm “Bar Ale Feed Store Fire” in Petaluma in which he served as Engine Captain and a Division Group Supervisor for Division C “Charlie”. Incidentally, his father was the incident commander of that fire. He has also fought numerous fires in apartment complexes in Rohnert Park and Cotati areas. Cary was the incident commander of a 3rd Alarm fire in Sausalito in 1998. He has responded to and been part of many other single family dwelling and commercial fires in Mill Valley, Tiburon, Southern Marin District, Marin City and Sausalito.

Cary’s volunteer and paid wildland fire experience is extensive. Cary has taken part in the following strike team assignments: Cleveland Fire 1992, Vision Fire 1995, Cavedale Fire 1996, Geysers Fire 1999, Sixteen / Rumsey Canyon Fire 1999, Union Fire 2000, Darby Fire September 11, 2001, Old Fire 2003, Topanga Canyon Fire 2005. In addition to these strike team assignments, Cary has responded to numerous “initial attack” wildland fires throughout Sonoma and Marin Counties.

Cary has also taken a very active roll in fire service training. From 1998 to 2002, Cary was an instructor at the Santa Rosa Fire Academy for the following technical sections: hose, vertical ventilation, master streams, nozzles, rapid intervention crews and live fire exercises. In 2000, Cary was awarded “Outstanding Instructor” by the students of the extended and intensive sections of the academy. From 1999 to 2004, Cary served as the Training Officer for the City of Sausalito Fire Department and then for the merged Fire Department known as Southern Marin Fire District (Sausalito Fire and Southern Marin Fire) from 2004 to 2006.

Currently, Cary works for the Southern Marin Fire District as a Fire Captain at the Tam Valley Station on Engine Company 4 and Engine 604. He is assigned as the Southern Marin Fire District Vegetation Management Specialist.

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