‘First of Its Kind’: Three Dozen Corpsmembers Graduate Special Fire Academy

For decades the California Conservation Corps has provided Corpsmembers with the opportunity to work hands-on in wildland firefighting. For nearly four months this year, three dozen Corpsmembers took their firefighting skills to another level. The Corpsmembers, coming from six centers across Southern and Central California, went through a full structural fire academy—for free. With support from Edison International, the CCC Foundation, and Moreno Valley Community College, Class 49 became the first fire academy to go through the Ben Clark Training Center where all fire cadets came from a single agency. It was hard work, with long days in the classroom and in the field. What got the crew through it all—teamwork and camaraderie. Talk about a special opportunity!