Camarillo Center
Watch the Camarillo Center Video Tour!
Corpsmembers at the Camarillo Center work to slow the spread of wildfires, monitor fish habitats, and prepare nutritious meals in the kitchen.
A Camarillo 4 Corpsmember hikes up a burned hillside with his McLeod during the Palisades Fire near the community of Topanga.
Camarillo Center
Train With Us
Get paid to train! The skills and lessons you learn at the Camarillo Center will create a strong foundation for you to launch a meaningful career and transform your life.
Culinary
Camarillo Center Corpsmembers train for careers in commercial kitchens, resorts, and restaurants. The culinary crew prepares meals for residents at the center. At the Camarillo Center, Corpsmembers can earn their ServSafe Food Handler, Manager, Allergens, and Instructor/Proctor certifications.
Culinary
Emergency Response
All Corpsmembers respond to emergencies across California (and beyond). Assignments can last up to 21 days in a row and Corpsmembers may work up to 16 hours per day, earning excess pay. Crews support wildfire base camps, protect homes from flooding, remove debris, and more.
Emergency Response
Habitat Restoration
Corpsmembers at the Camarillo Center may complete habitat restoration projects while working on a natural resources crew. Project work varies but may involve assessing habitats, removing invasive vegetation, planting native species, stabilizing slopes, or implementing additional modifications to enhance natural environments. Corpsmembers may complete this work in forests, rivers, streams, or other sensitive habitats.
Habitat Restoration
Trails
Corpsmembers at the Camarillo Center may complete trails projects while working on a natural resources crew. Project work varies but may involve clearing brush, rebuilding trail tread, installing rip rap erosion control, constructing bridges or boardwalks, and more.
Trails
Veterans Fisheries
In partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Camarillo Center enables U.S. Military Veterans to monitor species of concern and restore habitat for endangered fish, such as salmon and steelhead. The center can host up to two Veterans Fisheries Corpsmembers at once.
Veterans Fisheries
Wildland Firefighting
The Camarillo Center partners with the CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo Unit to operate four wildland firefighting hand crews. Under the direction of CAL FIRE captains, Corpsmembers cut fire line, lay hose, and mop up wildland fires. They may also reduce wildfire risk by removing vegetation, creating fuel breaks, and participating in prescribed burns. Crews respond to local calls and can be dispatched statewide.
At the Camarillo Center Corpsmembers go directly from initial training to fire training. Upon successful completion of fire training, they get placed onto wildland firefighting crews. Corpsmembers must work with their recruiter to complete their fire fitness tracker prior to assignment to the Camarillo Center. The tracker helps determine whether folks are ready for the rigorous requirements of fire training and can meet the standards necessary to remain on a fire crew.
Picture Yourself Here
Know Before You Go
Weather
Temperatures at the center average highs of 77 °F in the summer and overnight lows of 45 °F in the winter.
Lodging
Food & housing costs $500 per month. Corpsmembers live in one of four dormitories, with two to four people per room.
Activities
Join the Corpsmember Advisory Board to organize volunteer events, plan recreation trips, and build community.
Find Your Path
“The CCC prepared me by giving me the proper training and education. It changed me in multiple ways—preparing me for the job and in life. … Go for it! You live one life, try everything that is possible. You never know, you might just fall in love with it.”
Ask Us Anything
Talk to A Recruiter
Facility Questions
Does the center have computers I can use?
Does the center have good phone reception?
Does the center have a gym I can use?
Does the center have parking for my car?
Does the center have gender-neutral dorms or rooms?
Dormitory rooms and bathrooms are assigned based on Corpsmember preference.
Community Living Questions
Are there quiet hours on campus?
- 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Weeknights
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Weekends
Do Corpsmembers need to sign out when they leave the center?
Can friends and family visit me at the Camarillo Center?
Can the Camarillo Center help me get my driver license?
Occasionally the center can assist Corpsmembers with getting their driver license. Typically, a driving school is contracted to provide lessons for Corpsmembers who have their driver’s permit.
What should I bring to my residential center?
Your Recruiter will give you a packing list when you are assigned to a center. Generally, dorms are equipped with lockers having minimal closet space. It’s recommended to pack light. Once Corpsmembers have been settled into the program and into regular Corpsmember rooms with larger lockers, they can bring more items.
Are special dietary needs accommodated?
Yes. Culinary staff at our residential centers prepare a variety of meals catering to the different ethnic and cultural backgrounds of our Corpsmembers. They serve traditional, vegetarian, and vegan meals which are all well-balanced, nutritious, and delicious.
Read Center News
Multiple CCC fire strike teams worked in and around Topanga Canyon during the height and aftermath of the Palisades Fire.
U.S. Military Veterans are finding new career pathways with the CCC-NOAA Veterans Corps Fisheries Program.
