California: Governor Newsom celebrates CAL FIRE’s first graduation at new Atwater training center
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Oct 24, 2025

Governor Newsom celebrates CAL FIRE's first graduation at new Atwater training center

What you need to know: CAL FIRE held its first graduation ceremony of Company Officers at the new Atwater Training Center. The 38 graduates will take on roles as CAL FIRE's frontline leaders in emergency response.

ATWATER – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the first graduating class of Company Officers at CAL FIRE's new Atwater Training Center, marking a major step forward in the state's continued investment in firefighter training and wildfire preparedness.

Thirty-eight firefighters graduated from the rigorous Company Officer Academy, earning promotion to Company Officer – CAL FIRE's frontline leaders in emergency response and crew development. The event marks the first commencement held at the department's newest training facility, located at the former Castle Air Force Base in Merced County.

With every graduating class, California is expanding its world‑class firefighting force and preparing for the challenges of tomorrow. The new Atwater Training Center represents our state's commitment to ensuring CAL FIRE's firefighters have the tools, training, and leadership to keep Californians safe in an era of evolving fire risk.

Governor Gavin Newsom

With this graduating class, CAL FIRE has trained more than 500 new Company Officers in 2025 and is on track to surpass a record 650 by year's end – further strengthening the department's leadership ranks and sharpening the frontline capacity of the state's firefighting system.

The Atwater Training Center opened in July 2025 to meet increasing training demands driven by the growth of CAL FIRE's permanent and seasonal workforce. The facility joins three other CAL FIRE academies in Ione, Redding, and Riverside, expanding capacity to run concurrent Fire Control Academies and specialized leadership, aviation, and equipment operations programs.

"Training and education are the foundation of effective emergency response," said CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler. "The Atwater campus allows us to provide hands-on instruction and leadership development to a growing number of dedicated professionals who serve communities statewide."

The expansion aligns with Governor Newsom's ongoing investments in wildfire preparedness, forest resilience, and 21st‑century emergency response capabilities. The administration has increased CAL FIRE's staffing to record levels, added new firefighting aircraft, expanded defensible space programs, and modernized command and communications infrastructure.

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As California faces longer and more complex fire seasons, the Atwater Training Center stands as a cornerstone of CAL FIRE's next generation of readiness and leadership development.

Company Officers play a critical role in CAL FIRE's mission. They lead crews during emergencies, assume initial Incident Command, and oversee readiness, training, and fire prevention efforts during non-emergency periods. The academy prepares them for this leadership transition through standardized, statewide instruction.

California invests in wildfire response and prevention capabilities

The firefighters graduating today at the new training facility are yet another clear example of California's investment into protecting communities up and down the state.

Since 2020 the date has doubled the investment into wildfire prevention and resilience efforts. California invested more than $2.5 billion in wildfire resilience, with an additional 1.5 billion to be allocated from the 2024 Climate Bond.

Earlier this month the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) alongside key partners like CAL FIRE announced the groundbreaking of the state's new Southern California Regional Emergency Operations Center in Costa Mesa, California. The new center will be a  resource to help Southern California communities when major wildfires threaten their community.

California invested $173 Million for community based wildfire projects to help California communities protect themselves from wildfires.

Governor Newsom recently announced that California joined the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact that expands the state's mutual aid partners during major wildfire incidents from partners across the United States and Canada.

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