2021 OCFA Employee of the Year is Fire Captain Drew Garcia

Fire Captain Drew Garcia has been named the Orange County Fire Authority's 2021 Mission Viejo Employee of the Year.

His strong work ethic and commitment to the City of Mission Viejo has earned him the respect of peers, supervisors, and community members alike.

Captain Garcia has been assigned to Engine 31 (Lake Mission Viejo) since transitioning from the Garden Grove Fire Department. In fact, he purposely sought work at this fire station to provide public service to the residents of the City he grew up in and still calls home.  

Captain Garcia supervises personnel on engine and truck companies and responds to all types of emergency calls like structural, wildland and vehicle fires, traffic accidents and medical aides.  

Because of the pandemic, the fire station experienced a spike in calls, but Captain Garcia took it all in stride - doing whatever was necessary to continue providing outstanding service to this community including working extra shifts to cover for firefighters who got the virus. 

"Almost every fire station saw an increase in call volume to some degree throughout the pandemic, but what sets Captain Garcia apart is that even though he was at one of the busiest stations, he had three (rookie) employees that he was responsible for training," said Fire Battalion Chief Eric Bennett. "So during a pandemic, Captain Garcia, who had a significant increase in workload, increased stress, more time away from his family and not to mention all while training probationary employees, maintained professionalism, pride and an outstanding work ethic the entire time. The citizens of Mission Viejo are lucky to have Captain Garcia providing service for their city."  

The City of Mission Viejo appreciates Captain Garcia's exceptional efforts and commitment to his field.  He will be honored by the City Council in January.