LOS ANGELES — California legislators and formerly incarcerated firefighters are urging swift passage of the “Firefighting to Freedom” legislative package, which they say would boost pay, provide benefits, and create career opportunities for those who risk their lives battling the state’s wildfires while incarcerated.
The Office of Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-Los Angeles) released a press statement highlighting her collaboration with formerly incarcerated firefighters to move forward with the package, which the office described as “investing in the incarcerated firefighters who are essential to California’s wildfire response.”
According to the fact sheet presented by Elhawary’s office, the legislative package includes: AB 247 (Bryan), requiring incarcerated fire crew members to be paid $7.25 an hour while fighting an active fire; AB 799 (Rodriguez), requiring the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to pay a death benefit for the death of any incarcerated fire crew member in the Conservation Camps; AB 812 (Lowenthal), requiring CDCR to issue regulations for referring incarcerated fire crew members to the court for resentencing; AB 952 (Elhawary), making the Youth Offender Program Camp Pilot Program permanent and authorizing expansion; AB 1380 (Elhawary), creating a path for formerly incarcerated fire camp participants to qualify for Firefighter I positions at CAL FIRE; SB 245 (Reyes), expediting expungement relief for formerly incarcerated fire crew members; and SB 423 (Smallwood-Cuevas), expanding fire-related college courses, establishing enhanced CAL FIRE training, and creating a Los Angeles County Local Handcrew Pilot Program.
On Friday, Aug. 22, lawmakers stood alongside formerly incarcerated firefighters and advocates in Los Angeles to rally for the bills.
According to the press release, the package aims to increase pay for “incarcerated firefighters, break down barriers to reentry, and ensure those who risk their lives on the frontlines are honored for their service.”
Chief Royal Ramsey, co-founder and CEO of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP), a co-sponsor of AB 1380, voiced his support. “As someone who was incarcerated in a fire camp, the danger is real,” Ramsey said. “The Firefighting to Freedom package represents not just policy change but hope, opportunity, and justice for folks who served their time and are ready to serve their community.”
As the press release notes, the bills’ authors urged “swift passage” before the Sept. 12 deadline and called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign them into law.
Elhawary, who authored AB 952 and AB 1380, described the package as a “critical opportunity to invest in restorative justice” and emphasized the importance of protecting the dignity of those serving California communities despite being incarcerated.
Captain Robert Hawkins, president of the LA City Stentorians, said, “For too long, incarcerated firefighters who risked their lives on the frontlines have returned home without the opportunity to continue that service as professionals.”
Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez (D-Los Angeles), the author of AB 799, said California must honor the “bravery and sacrifice” of everyone, not just some. She described her legislation as being about “compassion” and “doing what’s right.”
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), the author of AB 812, stressed the reliance Californians place on the “valor” of incarcerated firefighters to save communities. “So it’s time for us to step up and support those who are supporting us,” Lowenthal said.
Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), the author of SB 423, outlined the potential for incarcerated firefighters to better represent California communities by taking their “skill and passion and making sure we are putting them to work in good jobs and careers that build not just our communities but all of California.”
Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Colton), the author of SB 245, said incarcerated firefighters “earned” the opportunities laid out in the package through their service on the front lines of the most dangerous wildfires in California’s history.
Local community officials and leaders also joined in support, including Los Angeles City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Cristine Soto DeBerry, executive director of Prosecutors Alliance Action, Mayra Lombera, chief policy officer at the Michelson Center for Public Policy, Brian Fennessy, fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority and president of the California Fire Chiefs Association, and Taina Angeli Vargas, executive director of Initiate Justice Action.
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