Monterey County Fire Training Officers Association

Fireline Safety Awareness for the Hired Vendor presented by the South Monterey County Fire Protection District, March 17th or March 18th, 2014, in King City, CA

CSFM – Firefighter II presented by Monterey Peninsula College and the California Fire Academy at Monterey Bay, June – July 2014, at the Monterey Peninsula College Public Safety Training Center in Seaside, CA

Salinas Valley Ammonia Safety – May 22, 2014, in Salinas, CA

State of California – Weekly Drought Update – February 24, 2014

Monterey County Out-of-County Overhead Refresher Training – April 15 and 16, 2014. Locations and times TBD

Welcome to the website of the Monterey County Fire Training Officers Association. Our goal with this website is two fold. First, our desire is to assist members of the fire service, and fire service candidates, in receiving up-to-date training that meets their individual training needs. Individual training and continuing education in the fire service is a vital component to a successful fire service career. Secondly, we wish to assist fire service agencies in meeting their overall training objectives. We hope to accomplish this by linking fire service agencies with the resources, materials, and opportunities they need to have a successful training division with measurable results. Fire service training is continually evolving. A variety of improved delivery methods through new technology has opened many doors and provides new opportunities that were not possible in the past. Our desire is that this website will capture these new technologies and make them available to all members of the fire service.

The Monterey County Fire Training Officers Association (MCFTOA) has supported and provided fire service training in Monterey County for over forty years. As a standing committee of the Monterey County Fire Chiefs Association, the MCFTOA has hosted numerous classes over the years on many fire service related topics. Recent classes include practical Auto Extrication Techniques, Peer Fitness Trainer Certification, The Charleston Report, PC 832 Reserve Officer Training, S-440 Planning Section Chief, Elevator Rescue, The Cutting Edge Command Officer, in addition to annual live-fire wildland firefighting training exercises at Fort Hunter Liggett. In supporting individual personnel training, we recently provided scholarship opportunities for Monterey County fire service personnel by covering 50 % of the registration fee for selected classes.

Along with hosting individual training classes, the MCFTOA supports fire service training efforts by operating the Monterey County Fire Library at the Monterey Peninsula College Public Safety Training Center. The library contains hundreds of training materials and resources available for check-out by member agencies. Click on the “Fire Library” tab for additional information on the Monterey County Fire Library.

Believing in the importance of formal pre-service and continuing education, the MCFOTA has maintained a long standing partnership with Monterey Peninsula College and the California Fire Academy at Monterey Bay. The MCFTOA serves as the MPC Fire Technology Advisory Committee and many members of the fire service in Monterey County are Instructors with MPC’s Firefighter 1 Academy. The California Fire Academy at Monterey Bay is operated through Monterey Peninsula College located on the former Fort Ord Military Installation at the Monterey Peninsula College Public Safety Training Center. For more information on the Firefighter 1 Academy and the California Fire Academy at Monterey Bay offered through Monterey Peninsula College, click on the “Monterey Peninsula College” tab to the left.

WILDLAND FIRE SCHOOL

The training showcase for the MCFTOA is our annual Wildland Fire School held at Fort Hunter Liggett in southern Monterey County. For over twenty-five years we have hosted this extremely popular live-fire wildland training exercise. The school runs for three days and operates as close as possible to an actual incident. The school is supported by an exceptional instructional staff and the Wildland Committee of the MCFTOA starts the planning process for the school a year in advance. The school operates from a fully functional incident base under an ICS organizational structure. Over the years, thousands of firefighters and hundreds of departments have benefited from this exceptional wildland training opportunity. Click on the ” Wildland School” tab for more information on our Wildland Fire School.

Membership in the MCFTOA is open to both active and retired emergency services personnel in Monterey County. Click on our “Membership” tab for more information on membership opportunities including a membership application, meeting schedule, and corporate bylaws. We hope this website helps you meet your individual and department training needs. Please feel free to contact us for any training related information you may need or any suggestions you have to improve the delivery of fire service training in Monterey County.

On January 16, 2014, the Monterey County Fire Chiefs Association held their annual awards luncheon in Castroville, CA. During the ceremony, the Chiefs Association honored the following award winners:

Jesus Mendoza – 2013 Career Firefighter of the Year

Martha Karstens – 2013 Volunteer Firefighter of the Year

Jennifer Crane – 2013 Support Person of the Year

Congratulations to all three award winners.