Public safety boost as California expands frontline workforce with dedicated new recruits
Sacramento, California – This year, California’s public safety force has officially added more than 300 more firefighters, correctional officers, and highway patrol officers. This strengthens the teams that keep communities safe across the state.
Governor Gavin Newsom congratulated graduates from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) on this special day. With these new hires, public safety organizations are getting a lot of fresh enthusiasm and dedication to their work.
Thirty-eight new Company Officer Academy graduates are taking on leadership roles at CAL FIRE. They have had a lot of training, which has included everything from investigating fires and running incidents to the difficult jobs of managing emergencies and operating fire trucks. The Academy’s goal is to get officers ready for both technical problems and the hard work of directing people through both wildland and structural emergencies.
“Graduations are a time to come together with family, friends, and coworkers to celebrate the hard work our Company Officers have put in over the past six weeks. These women and men represent the next generation of leadership at CAL FIRE. I am very proud of their accomplishment and wish them the best as they return home to their new roles,” said CAL FIRE Chief/Director Joe Tyler.
This class brings the overall number of Company Officer Academy graduates to 272 in 2025. CAL FIRE also celebrated the graduation of 42 students from its Emergency Command Center Academy. These students learned particular skills that will help them respond quickly in emergencies. The organization currently employs more than 4,150 Company Officers in California.
Meanwhile, the CDCR saw 168 cadets pass the tough 13-week Basic Correctional Officer Academy, ready to take on their jobs in California’s 31 adult institutions.
“It takes a special kind of person to wear the badge, the sacrifices and dedication of our families cannot be overstated. Our future success is dependent upon your professionalism, respect, and commitment to excellence,” said CDCR Secretary Jeff Macomber.
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Including these most recent grads, CDCR has welcomed 601 new officers so far in 2025, significantly expanding a workforce that currently counts approximately 21,500 correctional officers.
The California Highway Patrol is also growing. 133 new officers are finishing their training at the CHP Academy in West Sacramento. Cadets trained for 26 weeks in collision investigation, defensive tactics, firearms use, emergency driving, and community policing, all with the goal of servicing the state’s varied population.
“This graduation marks the beginning of a commitment to protecting and serving others. These officers have demonstrated their dedication to keeping California’s communities safe and upholding the CHP’s core values,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee.
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State leaders said they are confident that California’s public safety agencies are in good hands as these new grads start their jobs. The state continues to encourage those who are interested in public service careers to look into jobs at its numerous agencies. It stresses how important it is to have strong, diverse teams to keep Californians safe.
