A Wednesday job offer from Cosumnes Fire marks the next step for Kayla Kerney, who led her 30-student class through Cosumnes River College's Fire Technology program. CBS Sacramento reported that Kerney, a widowed mother of two, is preparing to begin a full-time firefighter career while carrying the memory of her late husband, Harlin.
In comments to CBS Sacramento, Kerney described choosing the fire service as a new purpose she called God-driven. Her father, Tim O'Hara, an adjunct professor in the program, said he believes it has helped her process grief and could prepare her to support others facing similar tragedies. CBS Sacramento also reported that Kerney grew up watching her father fight fires and was inspired by his example.
The job offer landed Wednesday, placing Kerney among a small slice of the nation's firefighting workforce. Women account for only about 4% to 5% of career firefighters and roughly 9% of all firefighters in the United States, according to National Fire Protection Association data, making her appointment to a full-time firefighter job notably rare.
A Four-Decade Pipeline Into the Fire Service
The CRC Fire Technology program has prepared students for fire service careers for nearly four decades, training them to respond to emergencies in both urban and rural settings, the CBS Sacramento report notes. The academy operates through a joint internship arrangement between the college and Cosumnes Fire that dates back to 1987, according to Cosumnes River College. The Fire Technology program is accredited by California State Fire Training.
To qualify, candidates must hold a valid California EMT certification or paramedic license, maintain at least a 2.5 college GPA, and complete four FEMA Incident Command System courses. The program offers certifications in HAZMAT First Responder Operational, Confined Space Awareness, and Vehicle Extrication.
Rick Haas, who has taught at Cosumnes River College for two decades, said interns can work 24-hour weekly shifts on a fire engine and ambulance at Cosumnes Fire once they earn firefighter certificates and emergency medical cards. He said interns are able to perform all the duties of full-time firefighters. CBS Sacramento reported that 85% of students who go through the program get hired into the fire service.
Expanding Into Wildland Terrain in Clements
The program has also expanded training into San Joaquin County, collaborating daily with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on wildland fires. Haas described Clements, a rural community covering roughly 115 square miles, as an area with substantial wildland terrain amid grassland and agriculture.
That growth mirrors the scale of the territory Cosumnes Fire already covers. Formed in 2006 through the merger of the Elk Grove CSD Fire Department and the Galt Fire Protection District, the department operates eight fire stations across 157 square miles of southern Sacramento County and handles more than 18,000 calls a year, with emergency medical responses making up 74% of that volume, according to a 2017 EMS Master Plan filed with the Cosumnes Community Services District. In August 2025, the department earned international accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International, placing it among just over 340 fire agencies worldwide, as reported by the Elk Grove Citizen.
A Cohort Trained for Service
The cohort included students pursuing different emergency-response careers. CBS Sacramento reported that fellow intern Auston Schmierer, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 7, hopes to become a paramedic.
That sense of mission connects to a wider push within California's fire service to support personnel through trauma and loss. Since 2016, organizations including California Professional Firefighters and the California Fire Chiefs Association have operated a joint behavioral health task force and peer support network aimed at addressing cumulative occupational trauma and grief among firefighters, according to California Professional Firefighters. Cosumnes Fire also has a local Fire Explorer program to spark early interest in fire service work.
Hiring Requirements and Behavioral Health Support
The college program's listed prerequisites include EMT or paramedic certification, while Cosumnes Fire sets a separate hiring threshold: applicants must be a California or National Registry paramedic before receiving a conditional offer. The department's recruitment page currently says it is not accepting firefighter applications, according to Cosumnes Community Services District Fire Department. For personnel exposed to traumatic calls, the California Fire Service Task Force on Behavioral Health has worked since 2016 on prevention, intervention and post-crisis strategies, including a peer support network, according to California Professional Firefighters.
CBS Sacramento reported that Kerney wants to spend her life saving others. Her full-time offer brings her training at a program with nearly four decades of history into its next stage.
