Local wildfire fighting program giving ex-cons a second chance

By AMANDA STARRANTINO

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    LAFAYETTE (KPIX) — It is a second chance for 15 men who will be crossing a finish line next week, after a strenuous firefighting program in the Bay Area.

The graduates come from different backgrounds and parts of the Bay Area, but they have one thing in common: they are all formerly incarcerated.

For the past eight months, Abram Lopez, a 40-year-old Mexican-Native American, has been learning the skills needed to be a wildland firefighter in California. He already has plenty of experience though. In his 30’s, Lopez was a fire practioner and a land steward for Native American Land Management.

“Got educated on ethnobotanical used and all that,” Lopez said. “That led me to being trained as a wildland firefighter.”

Also mixed in his time working though, is another type of experience as well.

“As a youngster, I developed a bit of a record growing up,” explains Lopez. “I ran into a little bit of a tough times during the lockdown. It kind of set me back a little bit.”

Lopez wanted to continue his work as a wildland firefighter after his time incarcerated. He applied to multiple jobs and could not land one.

“Like maybe 30, I applied to a lot of places,” Lopez told KPIX. “You know, that is always something that has affected me my whole life.”

His probation officer told him about The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program.

U.S. Forest Service and Interior Department are short 650 firefighters in California. On Feb. 27, CAL FIRE Chief Joe Tyler spoke at the Cal Forests Annual Conference and said 1,700 additional people need to be hired — positions include everything from firefighting to fire reduction to reforestation.

Specifically for firefighters, major issues are recruitment, training and accessible entry points for these careers.

Both CAL FIRE and the Forest Service have been working to expand training opportunities, increase pay and improve recruiting through hiring events and collaboration with local community colleges and other organizations like FFRP to support workforce development opportunities.

FFRP is working to fill that gap with a source that already has the experience for the job. The organization is co-founded by Brandon Smith, who understands the struggle to become and employed as a firefighter in the state after being incarcerated, as he too has walked this path.

“It is hard for people to understand the conversion from being a public nuisance of being incarcerated or a felon, or a person incarcerated, 180 degrees as the ultimate public servant as a firefighter,” Smith said.

FFRP provides advanced wildland firefighting training to people who already learned entry-level skills while incarcerated. They also work with fire agencies to increase employment from this group of people.

The organization also provides tools that go beyond the job too.

“If they need to get health insurance, reunite with their children, if they need housing, legal services, conflict management, all of those types of things,” explains Smith. “We link them up with an employment coordinator that helps them out with their resume.”

Lopez is looking at taking a position with the Mendocino National Forest with the Forest Service.

“I believe everyone has the ability to be good, bad or whatever,” Lopez said. “But you know they paid their debt to society; they have been in a place where they have proven that they weren’t dangerous or not harming other people. Why wouldn’t you not give somebody another chance to do better or to contribute?”

With some support and hard work, hope for a better future can be found in opportunities of second chances.

The graduation for the Bay Area FFRP graduates is April 22 in Oakland. FFRP works with the state and local community partners and the organization has created a clear pathway for their students to get the certifications they need for employment.

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