Numbers down for fire academy

Given that 75 percent of Sonoma Valley’s firefighters are volunteers, the fact that this year’s Volunteer Fire Academy mustered only nine locals may be cause for concern.
“Usually, the academy had anywhere between 20 to 30 recruits,” Kenwood Fire Capt. Daren Bellach said. “The last five years, it has been declining rapidly.”
This year’s recruits – from the Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Sonoma Valley and Schell-Vista fire departments – began their training on March 13. The state-mandated 99-hour course is held at various Valley fire stations and finishes June 7. Among the topics covered are structure- and wildland-fire behavior, and Bellach said this week’s training includes building construction and ventilation techniques.
Bellach said increased training requirements and changing Valley demographics – more weekend residents, fewer families – have contributed to the recruiting drop, adding that the decline reflects a trend beyond the Valley.
“It’s nationwide,” he said. “Volunteer firefighting in general is a lot harder now, communities are changing.… But for someone looking for a career in the fire service, this is a huge foot in the door for them.”