Las Positas College provides a wide range of classes, certificates, and degrees for students to reach their desired pathways and careers. But this vision has been put to the test as we continue to recover from the post-quarantine world.
One impacted area is the firefighting community. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, “In recent years there has been a steady decline in the number of firefighters in the nation.” This decline has been a combination of higher demand, retirements and increased emergency calls.
In a report by the National Fire Protection Association, out of 1,041,200 firefighters in the United States in 2020, only 35% of those firefighters were career fighters. The other 65% were all volunteers.
This is a problem that the Las Positas College East Bay Regional Fire Academy has sought to help with, not only in training the next generation of firefighters but also in helping those already employed and in the field.
Last fall on Nov. 4 the Las Positas Fire Technology started a Cal Fire Academy and held a five-week training course for Cal Fire employees. This specialized academy was the first in the state to train and certify employees on city and structure firefighting.
Captain George Freelen, a fire technology instructor at LPC, was approached by Cal Fire to run this upgrade academy as a way for employees to further their career opportunities.
“We were kind of a pilot program to see if it can be done,” Freelen said.
One of the reasons that LPC was sought out to host and provide this opportunity for the firefighting community was because of the diverse experience of the instructors. Freelen himself has 25 years of experience with the Oakland Fire Department.
Freelan explained that while the trial was successful this time around, he would like to have an extra week for the next session.
“It was 10 hours a day, and last week was seven days a week in order to get all the information and get them ready for the state testing.”
Although it was an intense course, the overall outcome for the academy was positive. Out of the 21 students that entered the academy, 20 graduated with state certifications. It was something that the instructors enjoyed as well, as they were able to work in an intense pace.
Cal Fire had been searching for a campus that was able to handle this type of academy, and Las Positas was able to take on this challenge and be a part of the “what’s next” for the firefighting community. Freelen explained what the process of setting up the program was.
“When we met and laid it all out, we actually met in the classroom and wrote it all out on the whiteboard all the way across the room,” Freelen said. “Wrote every day out what we were going to do, and how it looked. And Chief Benty and I looked at it and said, ‘Yeah, we can do that.’”
The academy was paid for by Cal Fire, giving this opportunity to its active employees. While it is uncertain if there will be another, the Fire Technology Academy is here to take on the challenge to ensure the preparation, education, and certification of the next generation of firefighters.
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TOP PHOTO: Las Positas’ Cal Fire Academy, which was started on Nov. 4, 2024 by LPC Fire Technology, standing outside of the LPC campus. The program allows those employed by Cal Fire an opportunity to obtain their firefighter 1 IFSAC/ ProBoard Certification. (Photo courtesy of Las Positas Fire and EMS)
Mel Llamas is the Opinions Editor for The Express. Follow him on X, formally Twitter, @MM_Llamas
