Jun 142021
 

Cordelia Fire Protection District (CFPD) welcomed eight new volunteer resident firefighter recruits last week. CFPD company officers began training the new volunteers last week, with continued intensive trainings scheduled June 19th and 20th at Rockville Road Station #29, and in Rockville Heights. Fire Chief David Carpenter says this is good news for the local residents and businesses who rely on the district and partnering agencies to protect lives and property.

The District has grown its ranks in recent years, bringing on graduates of local fire academies as well as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s) who wish to also train as firefighters. Since the majority of CFPD’s calls are for medical aid and other public assistance, the EMT component is critical for today’s firefighters. Additionally, as we enter fire season with most of the fire incidents involving wildland, CFPD implemented a new program offering EMT’s hands-on wildland fire fighting training. This expands the trainees’ career options while expanding the agency’s staffing abilities.

“As an autonomous agency, CFPD operates on a limited budget, and thus relies heavily on volunteer resident firefighters to carry out critical fire prevention and suppression duties as well as to deliver medical aid to our constituents,” Chief Carpenter said. “We’re grateful to all our volunteers for their service.”

The district is currently staffed by three full-time company officers, volunteer fire chief, an assistant fire chief, and 23 resident firefighters, plus the eight new recruits. While the resident firefighters are classified as volunteers, they commit to at least one 24-hour shift each week, and thus receive invaluable on the job training and experience.

“Our resident firefighters have successfully completed a fire academy and are training for a career position in the fire service. Our EMT recruits will be trained specifically in wildfire suppression. We are always training, both in the classroom and in the field. Those who join CFPD after graduating from an academy benefit from hands-on, real-world experience.”

Recruitment and consistent training is key to expanding the ranks at CFPD and enabling regular staffing of Station #29 on Rockville Road. Currently, Station #31 on Cordelia Road is staffed with one crew 24/7, and Station #29 is only staffed during times of high fire danger in the area. CFPD’s goal is to maintain 24/7 staffing at both stations, and to add crews especially in times of high fire danger. Full-time staffing of Station #29 will greatly improve response times for incidents in upper Green Valley.

Established in 1918, the Cordelia Fire Protection District is an agency that provides Fire and EMS service to the communities of Green Valley, Rockville, Cordelia, and Lower Suisun Valley. It is an autonomous District, governed by a five-member elected Board of Directors. The district has two stations covering 56 square miles of southern Solano County in California and is an active participant in local mutual and automatic-aid agreements with other agencies.

New volunteer resident firefighters train in mobile attack techniques
New volunteer resident firefighters training in mobile attack techniques
New firefighter trainees practice using hand tools to create a fire break

Feb 112021
 
Cordelia Fire Protection District Crews training in the highlands area of Green Valley in Fairfield, California

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This week crews of resident volunteer fire fighters were training in the Green Valley Highlands.  They were learning how to correctly lay hose from the street to houses some distance from the street.  Not all homes are situated on the street, and some houses have driveways that may not accommodate a fire engine. Some houses have a driveway designed to accommodate an engine, but are situated in an area that makes it difficult to reach with our equipment. This is why we must train our crews to be prepared to haul, connect, and use hoses on a structure fire some distance from the engine, especially on steep driveways.  It’s an important skill to learn as many homes in the District are not easily accessible.  Stopping a structure fire may be crucial to preventing a fire from spreading further.

Chief Carpenter and his skilled team are always working on training to further improve the skills of the volunteers who are here to serve and protect.  They will be back in the field again in the future to continue the training.

We are grateful for the support from neighbors who have volunteered their homes for firefighter training.  That is greatly appreciated. As we are continually training, we are always on the lookout for other training sites. If you own a home in the district that presents unique challenges and would welcome a crew to train on your property, please contact us at 864-0468 or email firechief3100@yahoo.com.