Feather River College launches an employee incentive pilot program to increase fire training and knowledge base for the campus and county. This year is the first in the pilot program offering a $1000 yearly incentive to any FRC employee possessing a valid Federal Wildland Firefighter Basic “Red Card” or CalFire “Firefighter 1” designation.
Currently, eight FRC employees earned the certification for the fall semester. The eight employees receiving the certification came from across campus: three are full-time faculty, one is part-time adjunct faculty, three hold classified support positions, and one is an administrator. The incentive is available only once per academic year. The firefighter incentive is designed to help provide trained individuals for the betterment of the County and to recognize the risk of wildfire exposure throughout the region.
FRC does not have plans to create a campus fire station, nor are employees required to join fire crews. Board of Trustees President Guy McNett says, “Our support shows that FRC takes the threat of fire seriously and this incentive puts resources behind this effort in Plumas County.” FRC President Kevin Trutna added, “he hopes that employees holding this certification will join local volunteer fire departments and encourage others to receive training.”
The wildland firefighter certificate incentive is one of many steps FRC has taken recently including becoming only the second college nationwide to earn a Fire Safe Community designation, conducting prescribed burns on the FRC campus forest, and the application for a bachelor’s degree in Ecosystem Restoration and Applied Fire Management.
