SUN PRAIRIE, WI – Fire Captain/Paramedic Jonah Winger possesses a specific skill that has served him well during his 27 years in the fire service: patience. In 2011 Winger started the process of requesting funding for a fire training structure for the Cameron Park (Calif.) Fire Department. Finally, after many starts and stops, a new Firefighter training structure is now in place.

“The process took us 10 years to complete, but it’s so worth it,” says Winger, with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the Amador-El Dorado Unit out of Cameron Park. “Fire Facilities was patient to continually update us on costs and information as we worked to get the tower approved over the years. They were easy to work with on choosing, designing, and receiving estimates for the structure we desired.

“Having the three-story Firefighter tower readily available has changed everything. Now we can train any day or time at a moment’s notice.”

Preparing for Wildfires

Training is critical for firefighters across the country, but especially in wildfire-prone California. So far in 2021, CAL FIRE has assisted with numerous wildfires, including the explosive 67-day Caldor fire that burned 221,835 acres. CAL FIRE teams are constantly on-call to control all aspects of wildfire suppression in the 1,786 square miles of El Dorado County.

“The Firefighter tower can be used for wildland urban interface structure triage and wildland drill scenarios,” says Winger. “Previously we had to train on local business buildings and at our fire stations. Now we are training daily on a tower more suited for our needs. While wildfires are extensive in our area, we use The Firefighter tower almost exclusively for structural firefighting and rescue training.”