CAL-JAC: Forty Years of Creating Excellence
In the early 1980s, fire departments up and down the state were tasked with diversifying their ranks during a time when firefighter training and training budgets hadn’t kept pace with the growing needs of the profession. To meet these challenges, California created the first public-sector apprenticeship program in the nation in 1982, the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee.
In its first decade, Cal-JAC held its first class of 13 apprentices and launched standardized firefighter training. It established Firestar Studios to bring these standardized programs directly into local training through innovative video-based modules.
Over the course of four decades, Cal-JAC has anticipated the future needs of the profession with groundbreaking training.
Cal-JAC brought wildland fire training to local firefighters for the first time through its Wildland Urban Interface curriculum.
In the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks, Cal-JAC implemented Terrorism Consequence Management, the first fire-based anti-terrorism response training.
In response to mass casualty events, Cal-JAC saw the need for fire and law enforcement to work together and created Unified Response to Violent Incidents training.
This year, Cal-JAC developed behavioral health and firefighter cancer awareness curriculum as part of statewide Firefighter 1 training.
In 2004, Cal-JAC revolutionized pre-employment testing with Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) centers. In the past, fire departments had to conduct expensive physical ability testing with each new recruitment class. Candidates looking for a job had to take and re-take different tests for every department. Over the past two decades, Cal-JAC has opened five CPAT centers statewide and has administered more than 150,000 tests, transforming firefighter candidate screening for candidates and departments.
Building on this success, Cal-JAC established the Firefighter Candidate Testing Centers (FCTC) in 2015 and expanded pre-employment services to include validated written testing and collection of background information. More than 165 California fire departments now utilize FCTC’s Statewide Eligibility List, making it a trusted resource to match departments with a pre-qualified and diverse pool of future fire service professionals.
Cal-JAC engages, inspires, and prepares a diverse new generation of California firefighters through its programming and pre-apprenticeship academies. In 2003, it established the Commission to Recruit Women for the Fire Service, comprised of women from departments across the state to encourage and mentor women considering a career in the fire service. To create pathways for underrepresented groups, the Cal-JAC Pre-Apprenticeship EMT Academy graduated its first class in 2018 with funding secured by CPF. Four years later, Cal-JAC recruited its first Paramedic Pre-Apprenticeship Academy.
At the heart of Cal-JAC’s innovation is the partnership between California Professional Firefighters and the Office of the California State Fire Marshal. Working together through apprenticeship, labor, and management can set aside rank and status to focus on the issues impacting firefighters.
For four decades, Cal-JAC has led the way to a more knowledgeable, better-trained, and diverse fire service. In the decades to come, it will continue to chart the course as the fire service evolves, creating excellence today and tomorrow.