Governor Newsom celebrates CAL FIRE’s first graduation at new Atwater training center

The expansion aligns with Governor Newsom’s ongoing investments in wildfire preparedness, forest resilience, and 21st‑century emergency response capabilities. The administration has increased CAL FIRE’s staffing to record levels, added new firefighting aircraft, expanded defensible space programs, and modernized command and communications infrastructure.

As California faces longer and more complex fire seasons, the Atwater Training Center stands as a cornerstone of CAL FIRE’s next generation of readiness and leadership development. 

Company Officers play a critical role in CAL FIRE’s mission. They lead crews during emergencies, assume initial Incident Command, and oversee readiness, training, and fire prevention efforts during non-emergency periods. The academy prepares them for this leadership transition through standardized, statewide instruction.

The firefighters graduating today at the new training facility are yet another clear example of California’s investment into protecting communities up and down the state.

Since 2020 the date has doubled the investment into wildfire prevention and resilience efforts. California invested more than $2.5 billion in wildfire resilience, with an additional 1.5 billion to be allocated from the 2024 Climate Bond.  

Earlier this month the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) alongside key partners like CAL FIRE announced the groundbreaking of the state’s new Southern California Regional Emergency Operations Center in Costa Mesa, California. The new center will be a  resource to help Southern California communities when major wildfires threaten their community. 

California invested $173 Million for community based wildfire projects to help California communities protect themselves from wildfires. 

Governor Newsom recently announced that California joined the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact that expands the state’s mutual aid partners during major wildfire incidents from partners across the United States and Canada.