CAL FIRE Marks Milestone in Leadership and Operational Readiness with Dual Graduation at Ione Training Center

 As celebrated by California Governor Gavin Newsom, the CAL FIRE Ione Training Center is proud to announce the graduation of Company Officer Academy (COA) Class 26-05 and Heavy Fire Equipment Operator (HFEO) Class 26-01. These dual ceremonies represent a significant achievement in the Department’s ongoing mission to bolster both its strategic leadership and its specialized tactical capabilities.

The graduation of the 39 members of COA Class 26-05 serves as a testament to the Department’s rapid and strategic expansion of leadership training capabilities, a transformation that has fundamentally reshaped CAL FIRE’s ability to prepare its personnel for the complexities of modern fire service. In 2019, CAL FIRE’s development pipeline was centered primarily at two locations: Ione and Riverside. At that time, Ione hosted all six of the Department’s annual Company Officer Academies. Today, with the support of the Governor’s Office, CAL FIRE has successfully doubled its footprint, operating four training centers in Ione, Riverside, Redding, and Atwater. This expansion has strengthened CAL FIRE’s ability to develop the next generation of leaders; since 2019, the Department has increased its annual academies from six to a planned 15 in 2026, graduating more than 3,300 Company Officers along the way.

Following the COA ceremony, the Ione Training Center honored the 13 graduates of HFEO Class 26-01. These graduates have successfully completed a rigorous technical curriculum, preparing them to operate essential heavy motorized equipment in wildland fire control, forest protection, and critical conservation project work. Beyond their operational proficiency, these graduates are now experts in the nuanced maintenance and repair of complex heavy machinery, ensuring that CAL FIRE maintains the mechanical readiness required to meet California’s emergency response demands.

Beyond these leadership and specialized operator programs, the CAL FIRE Training Centers maintain a continuous, high-tempo schedule that encompasses a wide variety of essential curricula. While all four training centers—Ione, Riverside, Redding, and Atwater—conduct Firefighter Academies (FFA) to ensure statewide operational readiness, the Ione Training Center serves as a comprehensive hub hosting FFA, COA, HFEO training, and the Regular Basic Course (RBC).

On any given day, these centers are hubs of intense activity: hundreds of recruits rotate through physical conditioning drills, run high-pressure hose deployments, or utilize advanced simulators to master incident command and fire behavior in controlled, immersive environments. It is a constant cycle of preparation where personnel at every stage of their career refine the technical skills and mental discipline necessary to execute the “All-Risk” mission.

The COA remains the bridge between technical proficiency and command leadership, while the HFEO program represents the backbone of the Department’s heavy tactical response. Graduates from both cohorts return to their units across the state ready to serve with professionalism, technical expertise, and unwavering commitment to excellence that defines CAL FIRE.

For more information on CAL FIRE’s training programs and career opportunities, please visit fire.ca.gov.

Photos from today’s graduations can be viewed on the CAL FIRE Training Flickr.