March 20, 2025
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is in the heart of Yolo County’s Capay Valley. A beautifully remote area, which can mean long wait times in emergency response. About 20 years ago, the tribe set out to create a top-tier fire department. Fast forward to today, it has evolved to become the only internationally-accredited Native American fire department – and recently provided mutual aid to the wildfires across the Los Angeles area. Yocha Dehe Fire Chief Shawn Kinney joins Insight about the road to becoming a state-of-the-art agency.