PROPOSITIONS

Since the early 1980s, the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (Cal-JAC) has been an industry leader in recruitment, apprenticeship, and training.

When departments and their respective labor associations subscribe to Cal-JAC, they provide apprentices with valuable instruction following Cal-JAC standards that parallel the State Board of Fire Services and National Fire Protection Authority standards.

“For the profession, it means state-of-the-art training built on solid labor-management collaboration. For departments, it means additional funding to ensure that the next generation of firefighters is well-trained. For firefighters, it means training is developed that is relevant to their needs and the needs of their community,” said Cal-JAC Executive Director Yvonne de la Peña.

From the moment someone considers a career in the fire service, Cal-JAC has resources ready to support them on their path to make them a well-qualified candidate. In 2015, it established the Firefighter Candidate Testing Centers (FCTC) and expanded pre-employment services to include validated written testing and collection of background information. “FCTC helps guarantee that future Cal-JAC apprentices have the skills needed to succeed,” shared de la Peña, “we want to do our part to set them up for success.”

From its humble beginnings in 1983, with 13 Contra Costa County firefighters forming the founding class of Cal-JAC apprentices, the program has grown significantly. Today, Cal-JAC boasts over 11,400 active apprentices from nearly 200 participating departments throughout the state.

Each year, Cal-JAC helps departments fund and deliver more than a million hours of training and education. In addition to local apprentice training, Cal-JAC actively seeks ways to develop flexible and effective training resources to meet the challenges facing California's fire service. “Purchased with Cal-JAC Training Funds” stickers can be seen on training equipment.

Cal-JAC has also developed a Wildland Urban Interface curriculum, Uniformed Response to Violent Incidents training, and Firefighter 1 training curriculums covering behavioral health and firefighter cancer prevention awareness.

Cal-JAC's Training Program is authorized by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to facilitate educational benefits for eligible apprentices who have separated from the military, making this career path more accessible to those who served.

Workshops are offered throughout the year to labor and management leaders, including at the biennial Cal-JAC Conference. This past August, the Cal-JAC Recruitment Team hosted an educational workshop about implicit bias in the interview process and offered advice on becoming mindful of these biases to improve the selection process for new firefighters.

At the heart of Cal-JAC’s innovation is the partnership between California Professional Firefighters and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The CPF Legislative Team has played a major role in securing funding to reimburse training hours for apprentices and to host pre-apprenticeship EMT and Paramedic academies free for participants.

“Your local union’s and department’s participation with Cal-JAC has gotten you access to all the benefits of Cal-JAC programs. Cal-JAC allows the voices of firefighters at all ranks to be heard in service of the future of the profession,” remarked de la Peña.

Cal-JAC is constantly exploring new ways to support the fire service, including initiatives to help with promotion and growth. As Cal-JAC’s many programs continue to expand and improve, the benefits for participating departments grow with it.