College of the Redwoods graduates first fire academy class under state accreditation

Thirty-four College of the Redwoods fire academy cadets graduated April 26 as the first class to complete the program under full State Fire Training accreditation, a shift that strengthens Humboldt County’s firefighter hiring pipeline and formalizes local training at a time of persistent staffing pressure.

The accreditation, awarded in November 2025, allows College of the Redwoods to deliver approved State Fire Training curriculum and certify coursework leading to Fire Fighter I and other professional certifications. State Fire Training defines an Accredited Regional Training Program as a partnership between an accredited community college or university and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, putting CR’s academy within a statewide system recognized across California.

The cadets completed more than 1,000 hours of hands-on instruction. Their training covered structural firefighting, hazardous materials response, wildland firefighting, emergency medical response, firefighter safety, technical rescue, physical fitness and teamwork. That range matters in Humboldt County, where responders are expected to handle structure fires in town, wildfire incidents in remote terrain, medical calls and rescue situations far from major metro resources.

Sean Robertson, the academy director, called the class a defining moment for the program. College of the Redwoods said the accreditation followed a multi-year review of curriculum alignment, instructor qualifications, facilities, equipment, safety protocols and partnerships with local fire agencies. The college said the academy is positioned as a regional training hub for Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino counties.

The graduation also lands against a clear workforce need. In January 2025, Humboldt Bay Fire Chief Tim Citro said the department was still recovering from a staffing crisis that began in 2022. Citro said Humboldt Bay Fire lost 17 employees between 2022 and 2024, had all but three full-time positions filled, and was trying to build an internal hiring pool through cadet programs and the College of the Redwoods Fire Fighter 1 Academy. He also said some response times had increased by about one minute during rotating station closures.

College of the Redwoods said it has trained 181 firefighters since 2019, showing how the academy has become a steady source of recruits for local departments and agencies. CAL FIRE Humboldt-Del Norte Unit Chief Kurt McCray praised the program’s role in preparing the next generation of firefighters, while the college said graduates can pursue jobs in state, federal and private agencies across the region and beyond.

The stakes extend beyond one campus. Humboldt County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan says local and tribal agencies provide all-risk fire protection, including wildland, structural and medical response, and the Humboldt County Fire Chiefs’ Association maintains a countywide mutual aid agreement with CAL FIRE and local fire-service providers. With Cal Poly Humboldt and CAL FIRE also partnering to improve fire management, response, forest health and workforce preparation, the North Coast’s fire-training network is increasingly becoming a regional system built for the demands of Humboldt County.