Cal Fire marked a major milestone with the graduation of 39 company officers and 13 heavy fire equipment operators at the Ione Training Center. - The Company Officer Academy (COA) Class 26-05 prepares firefighters for supervisory and command roles.
- Cal Fire has expanded from 6 annual COA academies in 2019 to a planned 15 in 2026, with over 3,300 graduates. - The Heavy Fire Equipment Operator (HFEO) program trains operators in wildland firefighting equipment maintenance and operation.
- Training centers in Ione, Riverside, Redding, and Atwater now support these programs statewide. The graduates will return to units across California to support fire suppression and emergency response.