June 26--GLEN HELEN -- For decades, state inmate fire crews have worked side by side with firefighters in extreme conditions to battle California firestorms.
Since the Supreme Court ruling forcing California to reduce prison overcrowding the state inmate fire crews have diminished greatly, but county officials have come up with a plan to alleviate the absence of state crews.
San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon and County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig came together Wednesday in the parking area of the Glen Helen Rehabilitation Center in Devore to announce the very first county run inmate fire crew.
"With the implementation of AB109 (inmate realignment), many inmates are receiving longer sentences and are good candidates for this program." McMahon said. "This program teaches the crew member skills that they can use to gain future employment."
An estimated annual cost to run the joint county 15-member inmate fire crew program is around $43,999.
The 15-member inmate hand crew began their training in May and will be ready to respond by the 1st week of July.
Inmates assigned to the hand crews train for five weeks in wildland fire suppression techniques, along with the basic incident command system, first-aid, CPR, chainsaw training, small engine and facility repair.
This year the fire season has come early to San Bernardino County due to lack of rain and a mild fire season in 2012, fire officials said.
"This groundbreaking pilot program is a valuable
local resource readily available in San Bernardino County." Hartwig said. "We hope this hand crew is the first of many more to come and plan to continue expansion of the program."
In order for inmates to be accepted to the program they must be a low-level offender, which means they can't have a criminal history of violent, sexual or offenses of a serious nature on their record.
They must have 15-18 months of their sentence left to serve and can't be gang affiliated or considered a flight risk.
Inmates assigned to the fire crews will not be electronically monitored due to the remote areas they may be working in, however inmates will remain under constant supervision.
"Firefighters train extensively and make countless preparations to be ready for a wildfire. Successfully preparing for a wildfire requires residents to take personal responsibility for protecting themselves, their family, and their property." Hartwig added. "The Inmate Hand Crew Program is another tool in our arsenal of firefighting resources."
Copyright 2013 - San Bernardino County Sun, Calif.
