BYRON, CALIF., – Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (Contra Costa Fire) announced the grand opening of the Byron Wildland Fire Training Center (BWFTC) in Byron.
The new training center will serve as another base for Crew 12. Crew 12 was a program started in Spring of 2020 and consists of one captain and 12 wildland firefighters. Contra Costa Fire deploys two crews during wildland fire season.
Their primary responsibilities during a wildland fire are to create firelines, defensible space, and mop-up with hand tools, saws and firing devices.
This strategic positioning in Byron for Crew 12 will enable the hand crew to respond quickly to wildland fires in the eastern portion of Contra Costa County. The BWFTC will serve as an additional training center. Given the multiple buildings and acres around it, a multitude of wildland classes and manipulative skills are now possible within the borders of the fire district.
The opening of this facility speaks to the current trend of Contra Costa Fire’s growth and in its commitment to improving emergency services to the citizens of the county.
On Thursday, CONFIRE will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 12:00 pm.
Thursday UPDATE:
According to Captain Christopher Toler, Crew 12’s two crew will be out of Station 12 in Martinez as well as Byron. A crew consists of 16 Fire Control Worker Specialists (FCW) and one captain. Both crews are a part of Contra Costa Fire seasonal staffing.
Crew 12 is assigned to all major vegetation responses in the district. The hand crew assists firefighters by performing skills within their scope: create firelines, defensible space, and mop-up with hand tools, saws and firing devices.
Toler explained that having a hand crew based out of Byron reduces their on scene time significantly to fires in Brentwood, Antioch, Oakley and most of the unincorporated areas of the eastern portion of the county.
“It is not uncommon to have a response time of 30 minutes or more from Station 12 in Martinez to Oakley or Brentwood during any afternoon,” says Toler. “The hand crew impact is big on incidents, but their impact is felt well before the fires start. The crew helps with defensible space and they are currently working with the Lafayette-Walnut Creek Shaded Fuel Break.”
For those interested in pursuing a career in fire, while Crew 12 is not seen as a feeder program, it does give crewmembers intimate insight of the fire district and valuable training. Most fire crews are hired by various agencies at season’s end based on the training and the experience gained.
Vegetation Fires
- May 25, 2024 – Firefighters Battle Vegetation Fire Threatening Homes in Antioch
- May 23, 2024 – Contra Costa County Firefighters Battle Multiple Vegetation Fires
- May 7, 2024 – Firefighters Limit Damages During Brentwood Fire
- March 8, 2024 – Contra Costa Fire Battling 3-Alarm Vegetation Fire
- Dec 15, 2023 – Firefighters Battle Overnight 50-Acre Vegetation Fire in Pittsburg
- Oct 21, 2023 – Firefighters Battle 20 Acre Vegetation Fire in Brentwood
- June 26, 2023 – Overnight Kirker Pass Fire Burns 35-Acres in Concord
- June 25, 2023 – Firefighters Battle 73-Acre Vegetation Fire in Brentwood
- June 24, 2022 – Update: Malfunctioning Vehicle Causes 105 Acre Fire on Kirker Pass Road
- June 17, 2022 – Update: Overnight 125 Acre Vegetation Fire Prompts Evacuations in Pittsburg
Previous Stories:
- Nov 2, 2022 – Board of Supervisors Vote to Close Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility in Byron: On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted to close the Orin Allen Youth Rehabilitation Facility in Byron. The closure will occur sometime in the next 60-90 days and which includes the transition of 36 staff members from Orin Allen to new positions within the county probation department.
