CAL FIRE has successfully trained more than 650 new Company Officers in 2025, more than ever before, with four training centers operating at full capacity. The newest, the Atwater Training Center in Merced County, opened in July 2025 to meet growing training demands. Additional facilities are in Redding and Riverside.
According to the agency, this historic achievement, “underscores the department’s consistent and sustained commitment to developing highly skilled, professional leaders to serve the State of California.”
Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler acknowledged the efforts required to meet this workforce demand during his keynote address:…