Amador County – An announcement Monday by CAL FIRE means the number of unemployed in Amador County has increased, at least temporarily.

101 seasonal fire fighters in the Amador-El Dorado-Sacramento-Alpine Unit (AEU) were laid off in three stages throughout the month of November as the department transitions into its “winter preparedness” level of staffing. Some outlying fire stations will also be closed.

AEU’s Chief Bill Holmes said that “in this challenging economic period, down staffing is prudent based on the current and forecasted weather conditions. We need to manage our resources to the best of our ability and administer our budget responsibly.”

But according to Teri Mizuhara, CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Specialist, these layoffs are usually anticipated by those who choose to serve as firefighters. “We do have some year-round staff, but typically our seasonal firefighters are younger men and women,” she said. “Some do firefighting seasonally or as a career, and many go back to college or school in the off-season.”

She said the competition for these coveted positions is tough. Her department received approximately 2,000 applications last season. Of those, 700 applicants were interviewed and approximately 20 new hires were offered jobs. 81 others were rehires.

Mizuhara said they typically hire and layoff in three stages. An equal but opposite hiring process will take place next year in preparation for the peak of fire season during the summer months. In a typical fire season they generally start hiring at the end of May to early June, she said.

Story by Alex Lane. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..