The Board of Supervisors approved a contract that funds firefighter training delivered through the College of the Siskiyous and related local initiatives that aim to increase volunteer recruitment and retention across Siskiyou County.

Why it matters: County and volunteer fire leaders said training is the most important factor in keeping volunteer departments staffed and operational in rural areas. The contract will reimburse the college for student hours and allow the county to reallocate reimbursements to send additional students to training at no cost to local departments or recruits.

Greg Roth, unit chief for Cal Fire Safety Unit and County Fire Warden, described the program structure: the county pays the college to supply seats; the college receives state funding tied to student hours and then a portion is reimbursed to county fire programs to send more students to classes. "This contract is for this coming year at a $100,000," Roth said.

Bernie Veil, president of the Chiefs Association, said the group helped develop an online registration website (Siskiyou County Fire Training) to allow individual firefighters to register for classes directly. He said the site and the college classes will help get training down to the individual volunteer level rather than rely on chiefs to arrange it.

Board action: Supervisors approved the contract and a recommended administrative change so the Board chair, rather than the county fire warden, signs the agreement due to the dollar amount. The vote was recorded in the affirmative.

Context and next steps: Supporters said the contract does not fund the Firefighter 1 Academy or EMT/paramedic programs but covers many other fire classes and certifications (auto extrication, chief officer training, etc.) that help volunteers meet minimum training requirements. The county will continue coordinating through the Chiefs Association and General County Fire to track participation and roster approvals.

Ending: County leaders said the contract and the website should reduce training barriers for volunteers and encourage more people to join local fire districts.