Public Administration · Bakersfield, CA
Kern County Fire Department
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Kern County Fire Department ranks #63,164 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a mixed safety record: 2 violations across 1 inspections.
- $3,750
- OSHA penalties
- 2
- Violations cited
- 1
- OSHA inspections
- #63,164
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Kern County Fire Department in Bakersfield, CA has been the subject of 1 OSHA workplace inspections and 2 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $3,750. The employer also has 1 Wage and Hour Division (WHD) case on record, covering Fair Labor Standards Act enforcement. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Kern County Fire Department once. These inspections resulted in 2 violations, averaging 2.0 per inspection, above what's typical for a single visit. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #63,164 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the lower half of penalized employers nationally). Against the Public Administration industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this runs moderately below peers (0.3x the sector average) on inspection frequency. The Department of Labor also found wage violations, with $27,669 in back wages owed to 19 affected workers. For comparison, AMS Utiliserv in Monroe, LA is another public administration employer with 0 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.
- 2.0
- violations per inspection
- 0.0%
- of violations were serious
- #63,164
- of 99,447 penalized employers
- $27,669
- in back wages recovered
Compliance score
- D OSHA safety compliance: 2 violations across 1 OSHA inspection (2.0 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
- D Wage & hour compliance: $28K in back wages owed across 1 WHD case ($28K per case), vs. national p10 $2K (best) / p90 $58K (worst) among 91,622 employers with a WHD case on file.
How Kern County Fire Department compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Public Administration per-employer average
- Kern County Fire Depar…
Kern County Fire Department
$3,750 in penalties
- Public Administration avg
Public Administration industry average (per employer)
$2,606 in penalties
What this shows Kern County Fire Department runs moderately above peers (1.4x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.
Where this penalty ranks nationally
Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty
$3,750 Top 36% most affordable more affordable than 64% of 99,447 U.S. employers with a penalty
Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026
Does more inspection scrutiny mean more findings?
Each dot is one of 21 Public Administration employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Kern County Fire Department.
Kern County Fire Department in the Public Administration enforcement ledger
Public Administration sector: Kern County Fire Department is the #1,031 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 1,870 employers with nonzero fines ($3,750). WHD back-wage recoveries in this sector place Kern County Fire Department at rank #148 of 501 employers ($27,669 owed).
Combined federal exposure here: $3,750 OSHA penalties plus $27,669 WHD back wages (88.1% of the combined total is wage recovery).
How Kern County Fire Department Compares
Kern County Fire Department's 2.00 violations per inspection compares to the Public Administration sector average of 6.4 violations per employer.
Against the Public Administration industry average of $2,606 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs moderately above peers (1.4x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
1
First Inspection
2017-07-03
Last Inspection
2017-07-03
Inspection Span
1 yr
Violations / Inspection
2.0
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$3,750
Industry Avg / Inspection
$827
What this shows 1 inspection over 1 year, averaging 2.0 violations per visit. That's $3,750 per inspection vs. the Public Administration average of $827.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
0
Serious
0.0% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
2
Other-Than-Serious
100.0% of total
What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.
Enforcement detail
Penalty Analysis
Initial Penalty Assessed
$5,935
Current Penalty Amount
$3,750
Penalty Reduction
36.8%
Combined Impact (OSHA + WHD)
$31,419
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $2,185 from the initial assessment of $5,935. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Wage & Hour Findings
The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division found that Kern County Fire Department owed $27,669 in back wages to 19 employees across 1 case and 19 violations. WHD enforces federal labor laws including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), covering minimum wage, overtime pay, and child labor standards.
Industry Safety Context: Public Administration
How Kern County Fire Department compares to the Public Administration sector, which has 9,693 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Kern County Fire Department | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 1 | 3.2 |
| Violations | 2 | 6.4 |
| Total Penalty | $3,750 | $2,606 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $3,750 | $827 |
Nationwide Public Administration peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Kern County Fire Department, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($3,750 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (1 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Public Administration
Showing 5 of 9692 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Kern County Fire Department vs AMS Utiliserv side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Kern County Fire Department's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Kern County Fire Department against AMS Utiliserv, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Kern County Fire Department's inspection and penalty record is typical for Public Administration or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Public Administration sector
- Kern County Fire Department also carries $27,669 in Wage and Hour Division back-wages, a separate enforcement track from OSHA safety violations. How wage-theft enforcement works
Figures reflect closed OSHA and WHD federal enforcement actions on record (2010–2026); not every workplace issue results in an inspection or investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Sources & Methodology ▼
Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).
Source: OSHA Enforcement Data
Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.
Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.
Employer Matching
Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.