Los Angeles is being devastated by massive wildfires, and almost 400 state prisoners have volunteered to fight the flames. Paid as low as $1 per hour, the state employs prisoners with low-level, nonviolent crimes to risk their lives and serve alongside professional firefighters. But once people have served their time, they often can’t work as municipal firefighters because of their criminal records. 

Most counties in California require firefighters to become certified as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) — and that credential is almost always denied by law to anyone with a felony record, even if they have frontline experience. A 2020 reform began to chip away at the barrier, but much more change is needed.

Up to 30% of California’s firefighters are state inmates, carefully selected to participate in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s CAL FIRE program. These people risk their lives to earn between $5.80 and $10.24 a day, plus an additional $1 per hour when responding to emergencies.

It’s simply wrong to deny people the ability to become municipal firefighters after they have served their time and paid their debt to society. A steady job is one of the best ways to prevent re-offending. Restoring the right to earn an honest living is crucial for ex-offenders to regain a sense of hope and a chance at redemption.

Sign our petition urging California to make it easier for formerly incarcerated people to become firefighters and EMTs after serving their time.