Sacramento Regional Public Safety Training Center
2021-2022 Program Review

The planning unit consists of the Fire Technology Program and the in-service fire training program. This program consists of courses from the following programs: State Fire Training (SFT), National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and courses provided through contract agencies.

The function of the planning unit is to assess the Fire Technology program, identify short comings and to develop solutions to correct them. 

The mission of the Sacramento Regional Public Safety Training Center (SRPSTC) is to provide quality, in-service training for law enforcement and fire service professionals who want to increase their occupational skills, prepare of reemployment and/or promotional opportunities. The goal of the SRPSTC is to provide students the opportunity and access to training within the Northern California area.

The SRPSTC has supported the College’s Mission by ensuring students have identified their goals and what is necessary for them to achieve their goals in their first class session. As the course continues, students are encouraged to express their current and future needs. Our process successfully meets the student’s needs in the following area:

·        Developmental Education – Students are instructed in various skills areas that are necessary for the student to succeed in college-level work. An example is the Fire Investigation 1A and 1B courses; these courses involve and require, and good understanding of basic mathematics and a half-day review of basic math is provided.

·        Career and Technical Education – Our program provides a steppingstone for employment and/or enhances an individual’s knowledge and skills for promotional opportunities. For students who are not currently employed a job board is kept up to date with public safety job openings throughout the State of California. In addition, students are taught how to write a cover letter, resume, and we conduct mock oral boards where the students must dress in business attire. Students who are already employed in a public safety agency and who take our courses, are provided with the skills and knowledge necessary to perform their job in a more proficient manner.

·        General Education – The field of public safety is a dangerous occupation, and we must provide the training and education necessary to protect the fire fighter or law enforcement officer. We have achieved this by orienting our program to provide the most up to date skills and knowledge that are necessary in public safety.

·        Lower Division Post-Secondary Education – The courses taught at the SRPSTC are in-service training courses that are meant to provide entry level through management training in either the fire service or law enforcement and are not meant to be transferrable to a four-year college in a fire or law enforcement major.

In addition to the in-service training component, the SRPSTC also contains the academic major of Fire Technology. This major is intended to provide an academic introduction to the fire service. Within the major, students take semester-based classes that focus on introducing the student to the fire service as well as facets that include Rescue Practices, Wildland Fire Fighting, Fire Detection Systems and Equipment and Fire Investigation. The intent of these classes is to provide a foundation that can be built upon when a student enters the fire service as a professional.

The instructors in the academic program are either currently employed or retired fire service professionals who can bring real-world relevance to the lectures and case studies. In addition, the instructors can readily answer questions from students on what is expected of them during the application process and in the fire academy. Instructors can help students prioritize their needs and refer them to services within the college that will better prepare them for their career. 

Based on the last six years, the only goal we have achieved is the return of the non-affiliated fire academy.

Program Challenges

The Fire Program at SRPSTC has been scaled back over the last six years. Part of the reason for the decline is the courses do not often draw the College’s minimum enrollment numbers. Some of the in-service classes also have a maximum enrollment under the College’s enrollment minimum which can further limit course offerings. In addition to the enrollment limitations, courses governed by State Fire Training are revised and the new requirements must be adopted into curriculum which is a yearlong process.

Private training entities have filled the gap that the California Community Colleges left from the 2008-2012 economic downturn. Students could pay more money to attend needed courses for their employment with little fear of the course being cancelled due to low enrollment. Private entities will operate a course with as little as five (5) students compared to the College’s twenty-two (22).

The return to pre-2008 enrollment numbers may take some time due to the current FTE situation. The in-service class FTE is part of the overall pool for the Fire Program with the FTE within the program going towards the Academic Fire Technology Program.  To assist with returning the program back to where it was, or to begin the journey, additional FTE must be allocated to begin the offering of in-service classes and the minimum enrollment numbers decreased on a temporary basis to allow for the successful offering of the class.

Equity Challenges

In 2020 a non-affiliated/non-sponsored Fire Fighter I Academy was taught. The initial offering was successful, and it was brought back for the Fall 2021 semester. A barrier for entry for into the Academy is cost. The total cost is between $3,601 and $3,627. Some of the fees can be paid for by fee waivers, but others are the responsibility of the student. Equipment for the Academy including required proper protective equipment (PPE) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) rental and uniforms is approximately $1,644. In addition to the rental costs, students are also required to pay materials and certification fees totaling $1,293. Many economically disadvantaged students who are interested in the academy cannot pay these fees and the fees are not covered by any grant or scholarship funding.

Currently, the program is reviewing the costs and determining how reductions can be made. This includes the purchase of PPE and SCBA through grant funding, though they may not be able to be offered for a planned Fall 2022 academy.     

The Fire Program is partially effective. We are meeting the barest minimum for in-service training and State Fire Training Accreditation and not quite meeting the Roadmap for graduation.

The Fire Program needs to be thoroughly re-evaluated and the in-service program needs to be given lower enrollment standards to compete with private training companies. In addition, the program must leverage already in place agreements, ISA’s, MOU’s to better the overall membership of affiliated departments and the college. 

The ideal future for the unit would be a multi-step approach.

Initially, there would be more allocation of FTE for the Fire Technology Program to allow the hiring of additional instructors and/or to allow those instructors who are qualified to teach in-service State Fire Courses. A pilot program of a lower enrollment cap would be used for on campus classes and the program would explore offering the courses at a facility provided by a partner agency. In step, there would be the inclusion of additional curriculum in the Fire Academy that will make graduates more marketable.

The next step would be the expansion of the Fire Academy. This would include the purchasing of equipment and facilities and brand the Academy as an American River College program, complete with apparatus identification and the already in-use academy logo. The infrastructure needed to run the academy would include separate showers and restroom facilities than what is available at the Training Facility located at 2409 Dean Street, classrooms, administrative support area, self-contained breathing apparatus fill station, and training structure.

By having dedicated facilities, the Fire Program can offer State Fire Marshal classes and not take classrooms that can be used by other programs including the general education courses offered at SRPSTC. The dedicated facility may also be used by allied agencies for promotional exams, testing of probationary employees and meetings. 

The addition of curriculum to the Basic Fire Academy is the first objective that we could address. The current academy coordinator is on board with the addition of curriculum as is the additional instructor (curriculum is required to be taught by a CalFire fire fighter/academy cadre member). This will allow the College to meet the workforce requirements of CalFire and local agencies. Success will be measured by tracking the number of successful graduates from the program and following them through the placement process for seasonal hiring with CalFire.

Additional FTE is also an objective that I would like to focus on. The additional FTE will allow the in-service training classes to be offered through the College which will assist in maintaining the required accreditation with State Fire Training. It is also a possibility with the additional FTE to offer additional Academic Fire Technology Classes that will assist students in completing the required coursework in two years (full time). 

Social justice and equity is essential not only to the College but to the fire service and law enforcement as a whole. We strive to be the stewards of the community that we serve as we live and work in that very community. By offering the education that our community members need/require, we can meet the community’s needs by preparing the next generation of law enforcement officer and fire fighter. In meeting this need, the college meets its own need by gaining enrollment and hopefully showing those that may feel injustice or inequity that they, too, can serve the community as they wish to.