By Alexis Alvarez, Feb. 4, 2025
The voluntary and selective Conservation (Fire) Camp program, which sent out more than 1,000 prisoners to the frontlines of the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires, often presents itself as a second chance for incarcerated firefighters, but it also comes with uncertainty and criticism from advocates.
According to Josh Pynoos, a spokesperson for the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, it’s difficult for formerly incarcerated individuals from the program to obtain a firefighting job once released. Pynoos also said they’re also underpaid, earning between $5.80 and $10.24 per day.
The participants in the program receive two days off their sentence for every one day they work as a fire crew participant while camp volunteers, who are support staff, receive one day off their sentence for every one day they work as a firefighter due to Proposition 57, according to the CDCR website.
Established during World War II, the Conservation (Fire) Camp Program now operates 35 conservation camps in 25 counties across California in partnership with the CDCR, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, according to the CDCR website.
A firefighting job requires an EMT certificate, which can be difficult to achieve due to an individual’s criminal record, according to Pynoos. But Assembly Bill 2147, which passed in September 2020, enables formerly incarcerated fighters to receive an expungement. The expungement allows these individuals to achieve the EMT certificate, which opens opportunities for core jobs, Pynoos said.
ARC, a program that aims to help former and current incarcerated people as well as transform the criminal justice system, in partnership with CAL FIRE and the CDCR, runs the Ventura Training Center, a training and certification program to help formerly incarcerated firefighters obtain jobs.
Pynoos said once the individual completes the program, they are eligible to apply for entry-level firefighting jobs. He also mentioned the ARC is introducing new legislation — SB 245 with Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes — to help improve the incarcerated fire crew expungement program.
“We’ve had numerous people actually get this expungement, but this new legislation will hopefully open the pool for a lot more people because going through the courts can be difficult and a time-burdened process,” Pynoos said. “Hopefully this will make that process more automatic and streamline the process to get this expungement.”
Along with working on a new legislation, the ARC introduced legislation AB 247 this year with Assemblymember Isaac Bryan to raise the incarcerated firefighters wages.
The conservation camp firefighting crew does not use water or hoses. They are hand crews, which means they use hand tools to aid in fire suppression during wildland fires, according to the CDCR website. Pynoos feels the incarcerated firefighter wage isn’t a reflection of their sacrifice and service.
“There’s a lot of ethical dilemmas in the pay gaps, because I had seen that they are paid at such a low rate, even lower than the lowest firefighter has been paid in California,” said Angelina Prieto, a political science student and the president of Cal Poly Pomona’s Political Science Club.” I think if we’re going to call incarcerated people to help us with a natural disaster, then they definitely have to be getting paid at the same rate.”
Renford Reese, a professor in the Department of Political Science, had a different perspective on the low wages and the difficulty of obtaining jobs for incarcerated firefighters. Reese said the benefits are more valuable than the wage and time off for their sentences.
“It’s the intangible benefits,” Reese said. “People don’t know what it’s like to be in a 6-foot-by-8-foot cell. It’s monotonous in prison. You got the noise. It’s crowded. You just have chaos and dysfunction.”
According to Reese, at the fire camps, the food is better, there’s fewer people, and it’s less hectic. He explained that the participants in the program are surrounded by nature, which enables better mental health, as well as training, helping with physical health.
Although many believe the incarcerated firefighter wage is exploitative, Reese doesn’t look at it as exploitative but as training for a future career. Reese also described incarcerated firefighters are the ideal firefighters.
“They’re physically fit, agile, intellectually savvy, and because of their background, they’re fearless when it comes to certain challenges,” Reese said.
When California is in desperate times, there is a need for every able-bodied and trained firefighter to be on the front lines, Reese said.
Furthermore, during desperate times, as was the case with the Palisades and Eaton fires, there’s no time to discriminate, he added. When incarcerated and non-incarcerated firefighters are on the frontlines, they are equal.
“When (non-incarcerated firefighters) see the level of skill, training and work with these individuals, I think that’s going to help transform the process because they’re going to be the ones lobbying for them,” said Reese. “They’re going to be the ones saying, ‘Hey, we need these guys because they’re good at what they do, and they’re fearless.’”
When more stories come out about incarcerated firefighters saving lives and property, it’s also when public opinion is going to change. It will be a start for these individuals to obtain more jobs once released, according to Reese.
The Conservation (Fire) Camp Program is not only for becoming a firefighter. The individuals in the program also respond to other natural and manmade disasters like floods, according to the CDCR website.
Feature image courtesy of Darren Loo
