About CFMA

Mission Statement

The California Fire Mechanics Academy, Inc. is dedicated to providing contemporary professional development and technical training to the emergency apparatus technician. We provide a professional learning environment for all students and welcome learners from throughout the country.

Board of Directors

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Joe Pastore

CFMA Board President
North Monterey County Fire
Division Chief
Retired

Joe Pastore

coming soon !

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Michael A Stoever

CFMA Board Vice President
F.E.T. II Rp13
Riverside County Fire
scott Courtney

Scott Courtney
CFMA Board Treasurer
Sac Metro Fire
Fleet Fire Mechanic
Retired

Scott Courtney

Scott started in the fire service before graduating high school.  He worked for Placer Consolidated Fire in Auburn CA. In 1985 he was accepted as a resident firefighter and also helped in the shop, where he rose to the position of engineer.  He left the fire service after 6.5 years to work for Motorola as an installer of radios and emergency lighting for 5 years.  In 1997 Scott accepted a position with Sacramento County Fire as a service tech.  In 2000 Sacramento County and American River Fire merged to become Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. In 2003 Scott was promoted to Mechanic and has enjoyed serving the department for the last 23 years.  Scott also enjoys smoking/barbecuing food for National Auto Sports Association where he cooks for over 500 people. 

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Suzie Cottle-Gavala

CFMA Board Secretary

Retired

Suzie Cottle-Gavalla

Salinas City Fire Department

Fire Engineer

(Retired)

Suzie comes to the CFMA with over 27 years of experience in the fire service. She began her career with the California Department of Forestry in 1986 as a seasonal firefighter and served with the Department till 1990. From 1992 thru 1994 she worked for various fire agencies within Monterey County before getting hired as a full time firefighter with the Salinas City Fire Department in 1995. There she gained valuable knowledge and skills as a firefighter and after several years, looked to promote within her agency to become an Engineer. In preparation to promote, she began attending the CFMA spring academy to gain knowledge of different fire apparatus and learn new skills.

Suzie was promoted to the rank of Engineer in March of 2010 and credits her agency, their mechanics and the CFMA for helping her achieve the rank of Engineer. 

Suzie retired from the Salinas Fire Department in November of 2015. She still supports the fire service as a Tenor Drummer for both CalFire  and the California Professional Firefighters Pipes & Drums.

Suzie began attending the CFMA board meetings in August of 2018 and joined the board after the Spring academy in 2019. She has worked diligently since joining the board to improve the boards outreach. She currently is the administrator of our social media pages and was voted in as the board secretary in 2020.  As secretary she has revised and helped develop new policy’s to improve the operations of the academy. Her role was key during the pandemic by developing the Covid Response Plan that kept the students, staff and instructors safe while still allowing the CFMA to operate when other educational facilities closed. Suzie has been a great asset to the board and she truly enjoys working with the students and strives to support the high values of the academy.

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Robert Ayo

CFMA Board Member
Yuki Rosas

Yuki Rosas

Admin Assistant

(916) 333-5044 office

Stacy morgan

Stacy Morgan

Admin Assistant

916-333-5044 office

History

After more than 49 years of operation, the California Fire Mechanics Academy, Inc. is the oldest and largest emergency apparatus repair and maintenance training opportunity of its kind in the country. The very first academy was held at the LeBaron Hotel in San Diego, California. At that time, it was called the Fire Service Mechanics Workshop and offered six classes for the entire week. There were a total of 119 registered participants in this first academy. Click here to see a list of locations and honorees since 1971.

Today the Academy offers up to 50 classes to choose from each year, ranging from beginning theory classes through State Fire Mechanic Certification and Re-certification classes. Attendance averages approximately 400 students from throughout the United States. From its inception, the CFMA has been under the leadership and direction of individuals from throughout the state volunteering their time to train emergency maintenance personnel.

The California Fire Mechanics Academy offers a wide array of multi-level workshops, hands-on training and in-depth technical classes designed to accommodate all skill levels in the field of fire apparatus and equipment maintenance and repair. The curriculum is constantly updated to reflect the latest technology innovations, as well as current laws and regulations. The CFMA prepares students for certification from the State of California, the Emergency Vehicle Technician Certification Commission, and Automotive Service Excellence. Instruction is provided by experienced fire service instructors, factory technicians, community college instructors and experts in specific areas to provide the unique and diversified training required for emergency apparatus technicians.

In addition to classes, the Academy hosts the California Emergency Equipment Showcase during the week. This provides the apparatus and equipment manufacturers the opportunity to network with the technicians on a personal level to answer questions and showcase the latest state-of-the-art fire apparatus, equipment, and related products. This is the only emergency vehicle and equipment exhibition scheduled for Northern California and everyone is welcome!

The California Fire Mechanics Academy is pleased to offer four tuition scholarships each year. For further Academy information, please contact the CFMA Administrative Office at (916) 333-5044 or by e-mail. [email protected]