AMERICAN CANYON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
News -Ladder
JANUARY 2026
A Message from the
CHIEF
As we turn the page to a new year, I am proud to reflect on another busy and productive year for the American Canyon Fire Protection District. In the past year, we welcomed two new Firefighter/Paramedics to our team and created a partnership with REACH Air Medical Services (Copter 11). These additions and collaborations enhance our ability to provide advanced, timely care to our community. Throughout the year, we also maintained a strong focus on community engagement through initiatives such as Meet Me in the Streets, career days at Donaldson Way and Canyon Oaks Elementary Schools, and Hands-Only CPR training at American Canyon High School. In parallel, our fire prevention efforts remained a priority, with ongoing inspections and compliance activities aimed at reducing risk and improving overall community safety.
Internally, we invested heavily in district-wide training with an emphasis on team building, communication, and professional advancement, along with important technology upgrades that continue to support our operations. You will learn more about these initiatives in our upcoming Annual Report. I hope each of you enjoyed special time with your loved ones during the holiday season. I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead an organization filled with dedicated and talented individuals, and I am confident that our community continues to receive the highest level of service possible.
Geoff Belyea Fire Chief American Canyon Fire Protection District
Operations Division
Incident Type
2024
2025
Change
Fires
71
65
8%
Medical Aids
1,337
1,325
1%
Hazardous Conditions
33
35
6%
Good Intent Calls
306
335
9%
False Alarms
122
113
7%
Total Calls YTD
1,998
1,818
9%
Operational report numbers are cumulative YTD. (As of 12/25/25)
MONTHLY TRAINING HOURS
431 YEAR TO DATE TRAINING HOURS
6,121 DECEMBER TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS Probationary Firefighter Modules Vehicle Extrication USAR: Annual Planning Meeting EMS Skills Updates Live Fire Training
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Paws, Purpose, and Forever Homes Every December, the American Canyon Fire Protection District proudly teamed up with public safety partners across Napa County to support the Napa County Animal Shelter’s annual adoption drive—and it was a tail-wagging success. We had the honor of spotlighting pets ready to trade shelter life for couch cuddles and forever families. The results speak for themselves: 96% of the animals we featured found their forever homes. That said, the mission is never finished—there are always animals still waiting for their perfect match. This partnership was more than a campaign; it was a heart-warming reminder of the incredible work done daily by the shelter’s staff and volunteers, and proof that sometimes your next best friend really *is* just a scroll away.
📍 Napa County Animal Shelter | 942 Hartle Court, Napa 🌐 napacounty.gov/1023/Animal-Shelter Because there’s always room on one more couch.
EXPLORER CORNER
Investing in Tradition, Investing in the Future This month, our Fire Explorer Post attended a department badge pinning ceremony—one of the most meaningful traditions in the fire service. Badge pinning marks the transition from training to service and represents trust, responsibility, and commitment to the community. By being present, our Explorers witnessed the pride and significance that comes with earning the badge. These ceremonies do more than recognize new members; they reinforce the values, culture, and brotherhood of the fire service. For our Explorers, observing this tradition brought real-world meaning to the principles discussed in training and helped them better understand the support system that defines our profession. Most importantly, experiences like this allow our Explorers to envision their own future in the fire service. By showing up and learning, they are investing in their path forward—and we are proud of their continued dedication and growth.
Toys for Tots Recap: A Community Effort That Made a Difference This holiday season, the American Canyon Fire Protection District was proud to support the Toys for Tots program by serving as a local donation resource center for our partners at the American Canyon Family Resource Center, The Salvation Army, and the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. Through this collective effort, 130 families were served and 330 children received toys during the holiday season. We are deeply grateful to our community—residents, local businesses, and partner agencies—whose generosity and continued support made this possible. Your willingness to give, volunteer, and show up for one another is what allows programs like this to thrive and truly reach those in need. We are honored to play a role in bringing joy to families across American Canyon. As one volunteer shared, “Being able to put smiles on children’s faces and help families experience a little extra happiness during the holidays is what this community is all about.” Thank you for helping us make the holidays brighter for so many. Together, you remind us that the strength of our community is found in compassion, partnership, and service.
Fire Extinguisher Training Knowing When and How to Act
AmCanFire continues to provide hands-on fire extinguisher training to groups throughout American Canyon year-round. These interactive sessions are designed to build confidence, preparedness, and the skills community members need to safely respond in the early moments of a small fire. Local businesses, industrial park partners, community organizations, and residential groups frequently take part in this important training. The value of this program was demonstrated just last month. After completing a hands-on fire extinguisher training provided to City of American Canyon employees, a Public Works crew came upon a vehicle with an active enginecompartment fire. Thanks to their recent training, the crew acted quickly and safely, extinguishing the fire before it spread and keeping the driver safe while AmCanFire units responded. This real-world success story reinforces one of our core messages: education is the key to safety. During these trainings, participants learn the PASS Method, a simple and effective way to use a fire extinguisher:
If you are interested in hosting a fire extinguisher training for your business, team, or community group, please contact our non-emergency line at 707-707-551-0650. More information about fire extinguisher safety can be found at www.amcanfire.ca.gov
ACCERT, American Canyon Community Response Team, is a program that educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may occur where they live. 12/2 – Members of ACCERT met with other Napa County CERT team leaders to collaborate on our new volunteer management software, Better Impact. Thank you Napa CART for organizing and hosting the event! These events help ACCERT reach its goal of increasing cooperation and coordination with other disaster response teams in our area. 12/8 – ACCERT honored former director Powell Helems Sr. with a proclamation for outstanding service at its annual Holiday Party. Powell was instrumental in forming the organization and giving it direction over the years. We look forward to working with him in his new role as Program Manager for Napa Valley CERT. 12/13 – ACCERT members Carrie Massey and PJ Massey received awards for Dependability, and Marion Cruz received the Rising Star award at the Annual Appreciation Luncheon. Are you someone who wants to be prepared when disaster strikes? Free disaster preparedness training is available to residents of Napa County! The CERT Basic Skills course is held from 8am-5pm over two Saturdays and 8am-12pm on one Sunday for a total of 20 hours of training. Whether you join a CERT team or not, the class provides great information on Disaster Preparedness that anyone can use. The next CERT Basic Skills course will be held at the Napa Community College on Jan 10th, 17th and 18th. Classes are filling up, so don’t hesitate to sign up!
Next General Membership Meeting Monday, January 12th @ 6:30 pm 225 James Rd, Station 211 To learn more about the 'Basic CERT Class' scan the QR Code
www.americancanyoncert.org
americancanyoncert
AMERICAN CANYON ARE YOU READY?
TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY ALERTS AND UPDATES FOR AMERICAN CANYON
TEXT ALERTAMCAN TO 888777 READYNAPACOUNTY.ORG
911 DONALDSON WAY, E AMERICAN CANYON, CA 94503 AMCANFIRE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/AMCANFIRE INSTAGRAM.COM/AMCAN_FIRE (707) 551-0650 IN AN EMERGENCY DIAL 9-1-1