Penn Valley, Calif. December 6, 2016 – Starting on Monday, December 5, 2016, firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) will be training on High Angle and Technical Rescue techniques at the Army Corps of Engineer’s Lake Englebright complex near Penn Valley, California.
As part of the CAL FIRE all-risk mission to protect the citizens of the State of California our firefighters are expected to be highly skilled in not just firefighting. Most firefighters with CAL FIRE are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) or Paramedics. In addition we have many who are highly trained and certified in hazardous materials, trench rescue, confined space rescue, river and flood rescue, boat operations and technical rescue.
Every year firefighters are called on to assist and save people in highly dangerous situations. One of the most common situations we encounter are people who have slipped or fallen off the edge of steep rural trails or accidentally driven off the shoulder of steep canyon roads.
It takes well trained and experienced firefighters to those individuals when they find themselves in these predicaments. This week our firefighters will be training and going through extensive real-world training evolutions conducted in and around Lake Englebright.
As a reminder please help us to help you by doing your part to help keep California safe from wildfires. Make sure you maintain a defensible space around your home and be extra cautious when doing anything that might produce heat, spark or flame.