The California Fire Mechanics Academy began 40 years ago with a small group of men volunteering their time to train emergency maintenance personnel through classes offered once a year. This program was sponsored by the California Fire Chiefs Association and has grown accordingly as they sought to provide recognition for the education, training and experience of fire apparatus mechanics.

The California Fire Mechanics Academy is run by volunteers from throughout the state dedicated to helping people who work on emergency apparatus learn how to properly repair and maintain this unique equipment. Founded in 1970, CFMA has been providing this specialized training for over 39 years and is the premiere training academy of its kind in the country.

In 2005 the CFMA began working in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service Wildland Fire Training Center, the American River College Public Safety Training Center, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, and Roseville Fire Department, to improve their annual academy. By sharing locations that each of these agencies maintain in and around the Sacramento area, the CFMA is again poised to offer a wide range of classes in a central location in the state.

In addition to the training offered by the individual classes, the CFMA also offers mechanic certification preparation classes for the state of California, the National Fire Protection Association and the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence. Any student may also take the Emergency Vehicle Technician exams during the week, as the CFMA has been designated as a test site for EVT Certification Commission exams.

The very first training academy was held in 1971 in San Diego and called the Fire Service Mechanics Workshop. There were six classes offered and 119 students participated. Each spring, over 400 students from across the country attend the CFMA weeklong academy with more than 40 classes.

In addition to the Academy, California has two fire mechanic associations divided geographically in the state by north and south. These associations meet bi-monthly to provide members with continuing educational opportunities and the latest information.

The CFMA’s most successful class is the Fire Pumps & Accessories class which is required for Level I Fire Mechanic certification. This is a 36-hour class that combines lecture, hands-on pump teardown by various manufacturers and actual pump testing. It consistently fills to capacity and goes to a waiting list. To accommodate the demand, CFMA now offers a "mini academy" in November and always includes this class.

CFMA also offers a 32-hour class for firefighters called Knowing Your Apparatus, whichoffers a detailed review of the primary operating systems of fire apparatus and troubleshooting techniques, as well as enhance the operator's ability to provide more detailed information to the fire service technician.

The biggest challenge facing the CFMA is the severe economic downturn. California has limited discretionary funding that previously had been used for training opportunities for mechanics wishing to maintain and improve their skill level. In addition, the need to keep emergency apparatus in top operating condition has also increased as departments no longer are able to afford replacement vehicles as often as they might like.

With the support of department maintenance officers, training officers, and fire chiefs, the California Fire Mechanics Academy is extremely proud to report that there are now over 300 state certified fire apparatus technicians in California. It is very important that certified mechanics realize that certifications at each level expire after five years.