Jay Rotz
Capt. Rotz got his first taste of the fire service at the age of 14, becoming a Junior Firefighter with the Cordelia Fire District in 1986—clearly too young to know what he was getting into but knew this is what he wanted from a very young age. At 18, he was hired by the district as an extra-help firefighter and went on to earn his Firefighter I & II certifications along with EMT-1A. In 1993, he was hired by the Department of Defense and assigned to Mare Island Naval Shipyard, where he served as a Firefighter/EMT on both an engine company and ambulance. During that time, he also worked as an Acting Engineer and helped start the department’s water rescue team, proving early on that “that’s not my job” was never really his thing.
After the closure of Mare Island Fire Department, Capt. Rotz was transferred to Hunters Point in San Francisco, where he served as a Captain on an engine company and also worked in the Prevention and Investigation Division alongside the San Francisco Fire Department. Following the closure of Hunters Point Fire Department and its incorporation into SFFD, he continued his career, collecting a few commendations and awards along the way—and more stories than could ever fit in one bio. In 2014, he finally hung up the turnouts, started his own business, and focused on family life. Firehouse Cookie Company was born and quickly became a name people actually remembered (mostly for the cookies).
After years of working closely with fire departments and first responder families, Capt. Rotz realized the fire service bug never really left—apparently it just went dormant. At a first responder event, he crossed paths with AFC Sagara, and by July 2024 he was back in turnouts once again, ready to give back to the residents of Yolo County and prove that you can leave the fire service… but it doesn’t always leave you.