About
Tooele County Fire Department is an all-hazards response fire department. Specializing in Structural, Wildland, and aircraft rescue firefighting, and a member of the Regional Special Operations Response Team. Tooele County provides service to approximately 6200 Square miles of unincorporated area through dedicated response by TCOFD and contracted departmental partners. Tooele County Fire Department is a leader in Wildland Urban Interface response, Regional Training and Development, and Special Operations Response and Support. TCOFD currently has 4 stations with locations in South Rim (Wildland Division), Terra, Wendover Airport, and Ibapah. TCOFD believes in constant Innovation to meet community needs and a culture of service to its members and strives to be a place where volunteers and employees can grow and develop into their best selves.
Meet the Chiefs
Fire Chief
Bucky Whitehouse
Bucky Whitehouse is the Emergency Services Director/ Fire Chief for Tooele County. The Emergency Service Director/Chief leads the Emergency Management, Fire Services, Hazmat Administration and Emergency Communications Programs for Tooele County.
Bucky has worked for Tooele County for the past 27 years. In addition to his work for Tooele County, Bucky currently serves as a Battalion Chief and is a Past Fire Chief for the Tooele City Fire Department as well as a past planning and zoning commissioner for Tooele City.
Bucky received a Master of Science Degree in 1996 from Utah State University. He currently holds certifications as a Utah Certified Emergency Manager (UCEM), Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) in Emergency Management, Advanced Professional Series (APS), FEMA Executive Academy and Certified Public Manager (CPM). He is the chairperson for Local Emergency Planning committee (LEPC). He is a member of Utah Emergency Managers Association, Utah State Emergency Response Council (SERC) and Utah Regional Coordination Council (URCC) and several other professional organizations specializing in Emergency Services.
Bucky is a past adjunct faculty member for Utah State University and a private business owner. He is the founder and president of the Board of Directors for the TVFD Association. TVFD is a non-profit organization established to care for the health and wellbeing of the members of the Tooele City Fire Department and the residents of Tooele City. Bucky donates many volunteer hours throughout the Tooele Valley. He has dedicated over 30 years to coaching in the various Youth Sports Programs as well as serving as a board member on several non-profit foundations in in the Tooele area.
His favorite responsibility and greatest love is spending time with his family while enjoying the great outdoors
Deputy Chief – Operations
Joseph “Joey” Garboski
As Deputy Chief of Operations for the Tooele County Fire Department, Joseph Garboski provides strategic leadership and tactical oversight to ensure that the agency’s emergency response systems operate at the highest standards of readiness, safety, and efficiency.
Chief Garboski entered the fire service in 2016 and built an extensive professional track record through a diverse sequence of frontline, specialized, and supervisory assignments with Las Vegas Fire and Rescue where he still works today as a Fire Captain assigned to the CBRNE response unit. Throughout his career, he has operated as a Firefighter, Firefighter/Paramedic, Paramedic Preceptor, Hazardous Materials Technician, Recruit Training Officer, and Fire Captain. This hands-on, multi-disciplinary background provided him with rich command experience across advanced pre-hospital medical care, hazardous material mitigations, company-level operations, and organizational training protocols.
Recognizing the vital link between operational excellence and foundational education, Chief Garboski has instructed college-level fire and paramedic curricula since 2020. His involvement in academic settings allows him to remain closely aligned with emerging industry standards, training best practices, and the modern clinical protocols essential to contemporary fire and rescue services.
In his current executive role, Chief Garboski is focused on championing an organizational culture where personnel thrive through shared leadership, personal growth, and professional accountability. He views public safety leadership through the lens of dedicated community stewardship—ensuring that every decision, capital resource, and training evolution directly benefits the safety and well-being of the residents of Tooele County. Honored to guide the department’s operational division, Chief Garboski remains focused on sustained capability expansion, interagency collaboration, and the long-term strategic enhancement of Tooele County’s emergency services.
Deputy Fire Chief Administration/Fire Marshall
Anthony Bott
Chief Anthony Bott brings more than two decades of comprehensive fire protection, regulatory expertise, and administrative leadership to the Tooele County Fire Department. In his dual role as Administrative Deputy Fire Chief and Fire Marshal, Chief Bott is responsible for guiding department administration, fire prevention initiatives, life-safety code compliance, and community risk reduction throughout Tooele County.
Chief Bott began his fire service career over 21 years ago with the Sunset Fire Department. In 2010, he transitioned into federal public safety with the Department of Defense (DoD) fire service, building substantial experience in complex facility protection, specialized response protocols, and interagency coordination. Throughout his federal career, Chief Bott maintained strong frontline connections to municipal and regional public safety, actively serving local agencies including the Sunset Fire Department, Weber Fire District, and South Ogden Fire Department.
Across his multi-decade tenure, Chief Bott has cultivated extensive, well-rounded proficiency spanning frontline emergency response, fire prevention, technical code inspections, origin and cause investigations, department training, and executive leadership. His broad perspective—bridging municipal, regional, and federal fire protection models—allows him to implement forward-thinking administrative systems and proactive safety measures.
Proud to serve Tooele County, Chief Bott is dedicated to supporting department personnel, fostering professional excellence, and safeguarding the residents, businesses, and communities the department protects every day.