Mike Johnson began his fire service career as a volunteer in his hometown in 1993. In 1995, the United States Forest Service hired him as wildland firefighter he and worked through the ranks to become a full-time fire captain by the time of his departure in 2004. In 2004, he was hired by Clark County Fire Department (Las Vegas, NV), an agency providing all-risk response services. At the time of departing Clark County Fire Department, he held the Rank of Assistant Fire Chief for the agency. He was appointed in 2014 and currently employed in the role of Fire Chief at Ebbetts Pass Fire District in Northern California.