We proudly represent the dedicated men and women of CAL FIRE. In the middle of the 1960s a group of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection firefighters from throughout the state met in a hotel room in Sacramento, California. The object of the meeting was to create an association that would advance the wages, benefits and conditions of their members. Angry at the unrelenting schedule, which often meant seven days a week for months on end, the firefighters decided to unite in an effort to establish reasonable hours and livable wages. Almost 40 years later this proud organization is called CDF Firefighters. CDF Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year, of which less than 2% are wildland fires. CDF Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters, and from structural fires to auto accidents to earthquakes to floods to the spilling of hazardous materials to every conceivable disaster, we make up California’s Fire Department. CAL FIRE (CDF) is the largest fire department in California and the third largest fire department in the United States. Our firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). However, from the Oregon border to the Otay Mountains in San Diego, CDF Firefighters are among the best-trained firefighters in the world. We have over 4,000 members within CDF Firefighters and we are also associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF). Ultimately, CDF Firefighters are responsible for fulfilling the mission of CAL FIRE to provide comprehensive fire protection and other related emergency services, including protection of life and property.
