Shasta College Teams with Fire Agencies to Provide Critical Training

REDDING, CA  –  Beginning in January 2016, Shasta College and multiple fire agencies started offering intensive weekend trainings to better prepare firefighters in the area.  The project is the outgrowth of the Public Safety Training Consortium, a group of college and fire agency personnel that was started almost two years ago.  So far, two trainings have taken place with more than 60 attendees, and three more are scheduled between now and the start of the next fire season.

Shasta College is uniquely equipped to provide these trainings because it has an extensive interactive videoconferencing network which it uses regularly for college classes.  This system, known as ITV, allows for interaction with an instructor from various other locations.  For these trainings, students can attend at locations in Weaverville, Burney, Red Bluff and Amador County as well as Redding. 

Dean Eva Jimenez, co-chair of the Consortium, said, “We are thrilled to be serving our local firefighters through these trainings.  Without this partnership, local firefighters would have to travel to other parts of the state or go without specialized training that they need.”   Brett Gouvea, Deputy Chief for Cal Fire and co-chair of Consortium, added, “Due to the diversity and complexity of public safety in California, it is paramount that we share resources. By combining the efforts of the various public safety agencies, we are ensuring the delivery of a high quality cooperative training program that will meet the specific needs of each department. One thing we have all learned over the years is that no one jurisdiction can do it all alone.”

The trainings are free for participants because they are non-credit courses, a type of class that carries no units and therefore no unit fees.  Fire Chief Gerry Gray, City of Redding, said,   “In addition to the obvious fiscal benefits of this program, this cooperative effort will also forge a path that will establish compatibility in the field operations of our local fire agencies.” 

Superintendent/President of Shasta College Dr. Joe Wyse said, “Serving the needs of the fire agencies in the district is one of our priorities.  We believe that we are establishing a model for training that other parts of the state can emulate.” 

Contact:  Eva Jimenez, Dean of Economic and Workforce Development, Shasta College, 242-7565.