Assemblyman Heath Flora (R-Ripon) on Tuesday announced passage of his bill AB 579 which will create a firefighter pre-apprenticeship pilot program that aims to recruit candidates from underrepresented communities.

“Firefighting is not only an exciting and noble career, it’s also a good-paying job,” said Flora. “This program will provide an opportunity for members of underserved communities to break into the middle-class workforce. I am so proud that it passed the Assembly today with unanimous support.”

The firefighter pre-apprenticeship bill would require the Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS), in conjunction with the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (Cal-JAC), to develop a statewide firefighter pre-apprenticeship program to aid local fire agencies in recruiting candidates from underrepresented groups.

The California Professional Firefighters (CPF) were instrumental in drafting the language for AB 579, and Assemblyman Flora’s CAL FIRE background means he understands the challenges faced by California’s firefighters.

The bill now heads to the Senate.

Assemblyman Heath Flora represents the 12th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Denair, Empire, Escalon, Farmington, Hickman, Hughson, Keyes, Lathrop, Linden, Lockeford, Manteca, Modesto, Oakdale, Ripon, Riverbank, Salida, Turlock, Victor, and Waterford.