Placer Center
Watch the Placer Center Video Tour!
Corpsmembers at the Placer Center complete natural resource work across multiple Northern California counties.
Placer Corpsmember Cecilia Pierce talks through instructions with staff during training for the annual crew readiness drill in Nevada County.
Placer Center
3710 Christian Valley Road
Auburn, CA 95602
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Train With Us
Get paid to train! The skills and lessons you learn at the Placer Center will create a strong foundation for you to launch a meaningful career and transform your life.
Built Environment
The California Conservation Corps partners with California State Parks, Caltrans, county and city departments, and area non-profits to enhance the built environment. CCC Corpsmembers may complete a variety of projects such as building or maintaining park facilities, installing signage, retrofitting energy systems, creating defensible space, and reducing flood risk in communities.
Built Environment
Culinary
Placer Center Corpsmembers train for careers in commercial kitchens, resorts, and restaurants. The culinary crew prepares and provides meals to residents at the center.
Corpsmembers in the Culinary Program are able to earn the following ServSafe certifications at the Placer Center:
• Food Handler
• Manager
• Allergens
• Instructor/Proctor
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 in a day, earning excess pay. Crews support wildfire base camps, protect homes from flooding, remove debris, and more.
Emergency Response
Habitat Restoration
Placer Corpsmembers assess habitats, remove invasive vegetation, plant native species, stabilize slopes, or implement additional modifications to enhance natural environments. Corpsmembers may complete this work in forests, rivers, streams, or other sensitive habitats.
Habitat Restoration
Trails
Serving on natural resource crews, Corpsmembers construct and maintain trails for public recreation. Project work varies but may involve clearing brush, rebuilding trail tread, installing rip rap erosion control, constructing bridges or boardwalks, and more.
Trails
Wildland Firefighting
The CCC Placer Center operates two wildland firefighting hand crews in collaboration with the CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit. Corpsmembers cut fire line, lay hose, and mop up wildland fires. They 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.
Wildland Firefighting
Picture Yourself Here
Place yourself in these Corpsmember’s boots and envision life at the Placer Center.
Know Before You Go
Weather
Temperatures at the Placer Center average highs of 90 °F in the summer and overnight lows of 38 °F in the winter.
Lodging
Food & housing costs $500 per month. Corpsmembers live in a large dormitory building with two wings, where four people share a room.
Activities
Join Placer’s Corpsmember Advisory Board to organize volunteer events, plan recreation trips, and build community.
Find Your Path
Work with CCC career navigators to chart out your path to success. We can help you leverage your training to launch meaningful careers and pursue educational opportunities. Don’t just take our word for it, check out this alum story.
“The CCC made sure I had an understanding of the wildland fire portion of CAL FIRE, as well as some of the structure side. I face almost all the same challenges every day here that I did in the CCC. If you come for opportunities and work, you will 100% find it.”
Ask Us Anything
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Facility Questions
Can I park my personal vehicle on the center property?
Yes, Corpsmembers with vehicles are assigned designated parking spaces and must have valid registration, insurance, and driver license. There are approximately 30 parking spaces available on campus.
Will my personal cell phone get reception at the center?
AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile signals work quite well on center.
Does the center offer all gender dorms or rooms?
The center does not have gender-neutral housing but is able to assign dorms based on Corpsmember preference. Additionally, there are private restrooms and showers available in multiple locations on campus.
Are there any two person dorms available?
Almost all dorm rooms at the center are for four people, with the room divided to have two people on each side.
There are two two-person dormitory rooms available in the female wing of the dorm.
Does the center of a gym I can use?
Yes, the center has a gym for all Corpsmembers within the dormitory building. Corpsmembers must review basic gym safety and etiquette to use the facility.
There is a secondary gym for the wildland firefighting Corpsmembers, who use it as part of their physical fitness training.
Community Living Questions
Will the Placer Center help me get my driver license?
Yes, the center may be able to assist you. Through a local driving school, lessons may be available for Corpsmembers.
Are there computers I can use at the center?
Yes, the center has 10 desktop and 10 laptop computers available for Corpsmember use. Corpsmembers may use the computers for resume construction, job searching, and online courses. Corpsmembers do need prior approval to use the computers, as they are in a locked, secured building where staff must provide access.
Computer lab hours:
• Weekdays: 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Weekends: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Are there quiet hours in the dormitory?
Yes, as a courtesy to other Corpsmembers we ask that everyone lower noise volume during the following hours:
• 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Weeknights
• 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Weekends
Do Corpsmembers need to sign in or out when they leave the center’s campus?
Yes, Corpsmembers must sign in or out when leaving the center grounds during off-duty hours.
Can my friends and family visit me at the center?
Yes, visitors are welcome to the center during off-duty hours. Visitors are only welcomed in public spaces of the center.
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.
Crew Questions
Am I able to join a fire crew immediately?
Yes, Corpsmembers who indicate they are fire ready and enroll in the CCC to be on a fire crew will be given the opportunity to go through fire training outside of peak fire season after their initial training is complete.
If fire training is not immediately available at the end of initial training, Corpsmembers will placed on resource crews until the next fire training.
Read Center News
Multiple CCC fire strike teams worked in and around Topanga Canyon during the height and aftermath of the Palisades Fire.
CCC wildland firefighting hand crews are ready for peak wildfire season after months of training and physical fitness.
