22 New Firefighters Graduate From Con Fire Academy

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Contra Costa County Fire Protection District has 22 new probationary firefighters. They graduated last week from Fire Recruit Academy 54.

The nearly two-dozen extra hands will support Con Fire’s four-person truck company initiative, which was undertaken last August. The initiative is partially funded by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“I’m pleased and honored to welcome this accomplished group of 22 new firefighters to our
ranks,” said Con Fire fire chief Lewis T. Broschard III. “After their just-completed rigorous fire recruit academy training program they are exceptionally well prepared to step into new roles later this week as probationary firefighters in fire stations across our very busy District.”

The 19-week academy challenged the recruits both mentally and physically. They learned basic firefighting techniques for structure and wildland fires, rescue, vehicle extrication, how to deal with hazardous materials, and other things that will be routine parts of their jobs.

The academy ended with a “crucible” exercise, a realistic 48-hour period that replicates a firefighting shift. The crucible included responses to simulated incidents including a vehicle accident rescue, structure fires, and deployment to a training wildfire on Mt. Diablo’s Eagle Peak. That exercise included a six mile hike in full wildland fire gear.

The graduation ceremony was held Feb. 13 at Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Several hundred family members, friends, local officials, and others attended. Each graduate was “pinned” with their firefighter badge and sworn in as a probationary firefighter.

Con Fire provides fire and emergency medical services to more than a million people across 304 square-miles, and along with mutual aid. Fire stations are staffed in Walnut Creek, Lafayette, San Pablo, El Sobrante, Concord, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Pacheco, Clayton, Clyde, Briones, Antioch, Pittsburg, and Bay Point.

Con Fire provides emergency ambulance services in addition to firefighting.

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