CONTACT: DutyPIO, (916) 651-3473, calfire.dutypio@fire.ca.gov

RELEASE DATE: September 11, 2026

Sacramento, CA - The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) proudly announces the graduation of Company Officer Academy (COA) Class 26-12, marking the department’s 12th leadership academy of 2026. As these new Company Officers take the oath of leadership, they accept a responsibility to carry forward the courage, selflessness and commitment to public service exemplified by those who came before them.

This graduation brings the total number of newly appointed CAL FIRE Company Officers to 431 for the year, keeping the department on track to welcome more than 500 new Company Officers into leadership roles before the close of 2026.

Friday’s graduation reflects a collaborative statewide training effort across CAL FIRE’s specialized facilities. Of the 12 Company Officer Academy classes graduated thus far in 2026, nine academies completed their rigorous instruction at the Ione Training Center, while three classes completed their curriculum at the Redding Training Center.

“On September 11, we remember the extraordinary courage, sacrifice, and service of the first responders who ran toward danger to protect others. Today’s graduates carry that legacy forward. As CAL FIRE’s newest Company Officers, they are prepared to lead with the judgment, strength, and commitment Californians depend on when emergencies happen," said Governor Gavin Newsom in an announcement today.

“I am incredibly proud of our newest Company Officers, whose dedication to service embodies the very best of CAL FIRE,” said Fire CAL FIRE Chief/Director Joe Tyler. “On this day of remembrance, as we honor the legacy of those who came before us, these graduates step forward as leaders, ready to protect California’s communities with courage and integrity. Their accomplishments reflect not only their personal growth, but also CAL FIRE’s ongoing investment in building a world-class emergency response force. Congratulations to each graduate for embracing the responsibility to lead and serve.”

A CAL FIRE Company Officer serves at the rank of Fire Captain or Fire Apparatus Engineer and acts as the vital frontline supervisor of an engine or hand crew. When these newly graduated officers return to their respective units across the state, they assume responsibility, serving as incident commanders on initial-attack incidents, managing station administration, and directly mentoring subordinate firefighters.



With three more COA classes scheduled to graduate later this year, CAL FIRE's strategic investment in leadership ensures that units statewide remain anchored by highly skilled, safety-focused supervisors ready to protect California's lives, property, and natural resources.

Beyond Company Officer training, the Ione Training Center remains a cornerstone of CAL FIRE’s statewide workforce development and professional training. The facility recently graduated Regular Basic Course (RBC), a foundational academy certified through the Peace Officer Standards and Training program that provides demanding instruction and testing to prepare students for entry into the field training program. Ione also recently celebrated the graduation of Heavy Fire Equipment Operator (HFEO), an intensive program that trains operators in safe transport, deployment and tactical operation of heavy equipment and bulldozers critical to constructing and maintaining containment lines.

This year, Ione has also hosted two Emergency Command Center (ECC) academies with a third scheduled before the end of the year. Students who graduate from the ECC academy learn [NG1] foundational skills in call‑taking, dispatching, computer aided dispatch (CAD) operations, and incident documentation to prepare them as entry‑level ECC dispatchers. To date CAL FIRE has graduated over 1,940 students across all four Training Centers. A total of 786 students have completed training at the Ione Training Center in Amador County.

 A testament to the investment California has made in wildland firefighting response and training - so far this year, California has seen over 317,000 acres burned, significantly behind the five-year average of 776,526 acres. CAL FIRE has also participated in multiple out-of-state deployments with more than 600 personnel deployed 13 incidents across Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Alaska – demonstrating California’s leading roll in combating wildfires across the west.

Learn more about the CAL FIRE Training Center on the program’s webpage and view graduation photos on the CAL FIRE Flickr.

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