That’s the key! Mine doesn’t have certs, either; but he’s a hard worker. He’s been a private feller, Sawyer, equipment operator on fires all over the state. Best of luck!
Why "Thank God the CAL-FIRE Basic is gone!!! ?
Because its a one off cert that doesnt contain anything in the realm of safety,
Strategy and tactics above and beyond what is in the state FF-1 curriculum. Candidates go through a FF-1 Academy which meets the State Fire Marshall Office Standards (Ran by CAL-FIRE) curriculum, skill sheets developed by CAL-FIRE yet they dont qualify in some units without the CAL-FIRE basic. Some academies have a relationship with someone in a local cal-fire unit and they can issue the basic during the academy, some academies like in LA area do not so their students are not as competitive yet they get S-190, S-130, L-180 field time, pass and IFSAC-ProBoard test etc etc. It has always frustrated the hell out of me as an instructor and I used to work for CAL-FIRE and I know what goes into the training. Im not against CAL-FIRE putting on a basic as you may have units that dont have a large pool of candidates with a FF-1 academy so you do this when you hire a group. my gripe is dont make it an entry qualifier above a FF-1 cert which it was becoming in some units. Essentially if you were lucky enough to get a basic cert in your academy you were more competitive than an academy grad without it yet at the core of wildand training these topics are agnostic to agency. You Teach “agency” specific things when you hire someone anyway.
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I have seen FFI candidates show up at the Unit “refresher”/“new hire” training with a SFM FFI cert that have NEVER laid a piece of hose, donned a BA of any type, or actually deployed a shelter. Yet they get a cert and are eligible to be hired as a Cat 1 or 2. I have personally asked those candidates what they did for that class and the stated “we watched a video”. The original idea behind the Cat 1 candidate (those who hold a SFM FFI cert or CAL FIRE basic) is that they are considered “turnkey” and could be put on an engine/crew without any further training. I haven’t seen that happen yet. When the CAL FIRE Basic is taught at the local Community College, the students are required to do the practical evolutions, weather notwithstanding.
My personal issue with SFM training is typically “death by powerpoint” and when you are issued a cert, you are one for life without having to actually perform, show proficiency, or recurrency.
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To pass an accredited FFI academy today, you would of had to don an SCBA, performed a progressive hose lay and deployed a fire shelter under a timed spec, among many other manipulative performance measures. Those are among a number of must pass skills.
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@High-Lonesome how long ago are you referencing? To pass a CA FF1 academy it is mandatory testing that you throw a shelter, two person hoselay, prepare for an air tanker drop, don wildland gear then two other random skills that the state gives to the college out of all the other 10 skills (IIRC) which include sharpening a tool, mobile pump, line construction, preparing for a response, mop up, backpump, how to use an IRPG, assemble and use a drip torch, light and extinguish a fusee the list goes on.
So I dont know what academies you are talking about but I know for sure you are throwing an SCBA even going back 30 years ago. Back then yes the wildland was like a day of class and no field proficiency. A waste of time probably. When I started at a FF-1 academy teaching in 2006 we had 5 days of instruction but there was no mandatory skills testing it was more of an exposure to wildland firefighting. We cut line, did hoselays etc but again more exposure no pass/fail testing for these skills.
That as all changed. 7 days of instruction with mandatory field time and you bet your rear end we do hoselays and everyone of the skills required to pass the state testing. There is NO WAY a student who has been through a FF-1 academy in CA in the last 4-5 years has not done a hose-lay hence my point and why CAL-FIRE is getting away from the requirement of the CDF-BASIC.
Is it enough? Would I call even someone going through a CDF-BASIC turn key? Probably not, the closest I could say to turn key is the folks that go through something like Rio Hondo College has which is a Wildland FIre Academy which we are bringing to Mt. SAC in the near future. An 11 week Wildland Academy which after graduation gets you on a type 2 crew. Click on the hyperlink above to see what Rio Hondo is doing as its rad.
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Huge change from so long ago (1977) when they tossed a binder or two at you and said “read this”, then you were on the truck- in the back of course! We did lots of hands on training though, almost daily. I know each of these classes have a name and tragedy attached to them, so a better plan.
My Captain and dad wanted me to go to academy. Let’s just say I should have listened to dad, but didn’t. Biggest regret.
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When a person is hired or re-hired they have to go through 4036 testing ( ladders, BA, gear, shelters, ) and have to meet the time requirements/ proficiency in that skill. They have time to practice and then the initial test followed by a re-test if they fail.
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ajohansson,
I was referencing candidates that showed up with a SFM FFI cert. This was during the 2021 and 2020 hiring cycles. The candidates I talked to that stuggled with or were unfamiliar with certain skills were from Community Colleges from central or Southern California. As of then, a SFM FFI cert was considered the same or close to a CAL FIRE BASIC FF cert. Maybe it was related to the Pandemic issue???
During my almost 40 year career that included time as my Units training officer and then supervising the Units training chief I am very familiar with CAL FIRE training requirements. I was also the Units FF hiring coordinator and was a FF Basic instructor for 13 years. I have witnessed the FF hiring going from bad to worse.
I am also very aware of the requirements for rehire training and every new hire or rehire went thru the same skills.
My point was that there has been a few candidates that have a SFM FFI cert in hand but haven’t actually done certain skills.
@High-Lonesome I am absolutely surprised actually dumb founded that someone could get through an academy and never have done any of these things seeing that are all 100% required to do to pass an academy. I mean what did they do for 16 weeks? All I am certain of is they did not come from Mt. SAC. We rolled right out in the field during the pandemic cut line and did hoselays with masks on.
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