CALFIRE crews in the Nevada Yuba-Placer-Unit are the beneficiaries of Governor Gavin Newsom signing an executive order Wedensday. As a result California will be hiring 393 new firefighters and twenty-three of them will be in the Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit. Division Chief Jim Mathias says the hiring will replace many positions that were cut over the last several decades. Minimum staffing is three firefighters to an engine, but one-third will now have four.

Mathais says an extra firefighter increases efficiency exponentially during a response.

Mathais says most of the new firefighters will be experienced, but still need to go through a short training period to learn the CALFIRE specific protocols and procedures. Firefighters should be on the ground in a relatively short timeframe.