The Fire Department trains every day to provide the highest quality advanced life support paramedic-level care, to safely and effectively operate in hazardous environments, and to be capable of rescuing you from any emergency.  We train for competence, and we hire and promote for genuine compassion and true character.

Annual required training covers many areas and subjects including:

• Structural and wildland firefighting
• Hazardous materials incidents
• Emergency medical care
• Auto extrication
• Technical rescue (high angle/cliff, confined space, trench, structure collapse, swift water and lake rescue) 
• Mass-casualty incidents
• Emergencies involving utilities, pipelines, and transportation. 

Training is required for all tasks that are considered hazardous.  Targeted subjects of importance are those tasks that are considered high-risk/low-frequency. Training is scheduled monthly, quarterly, and annually to meet professional and legal requirements, and to maintain competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities.       

The Training Officer role is assigned to Training Captain Gonzalez, who administers the Department’s training programs.  The vast majority of training is developed and implemented in-house by SLO City Fire personnel.