By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Royal Ramey and Brandon Smith were two of the lucky ones. They made the challenging transition from fighting fires while incarcerated to having professional careers with the U.S. Forest Service and Cal Fire once they returned home.
Because of their good fortune, the two young men created a program to provide others in similar situations with a similar pathway.
In 2018, Ramey and Smith co-founded the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program (FFRP).
Royal Ramey and Brandon Smith co-founded the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program to help other formerly incarcerated individuals put their skills to use in a firefighting career.
Ramey visited his Rotary club – the Rotary Club of Lake Arrowhead Mountain Sunrise – to update the members on the FFRP and where they are today.
Ramey and Smith had both served time in one of California’s 35 fire camps where incarcerated individuals are trained and serve as firefighters. These camps were first authorized in 1915 to provide help building roads and railroads.
During World War II, a shortage of firefighters due to the draft led to the deployment of incarcerated individuals in camps as firefighters. In 1946 the first permanent fire camp – the Rainbow Conservation Camp – was established. And in 1959 SB 516 authorized the expansion of the program, due to a belief in the program’s rehabilitative value and a desire to reduce prison overcrowding.
By 1966 there were 42 camps throughout California. Today there are 35 such camps, all minimum-security facilities.
The camps are jointly operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Cal Fire.
Ramey told the Rotarians FFRP trains about 100 people a year and has helped 311 people transition into careers. Their tuition-free training program serves formerly incarcerated people; the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) community; and other marginalized communities.
The goal is to place graduates in careers as wildland firefighters and forestry professionals.
“I fell in love with fire camp,” Ramey said. “I wanted to pursue firefighting as a career.” The experience, he noted, “gave me work ethic. I became a better person.
“I wanted to pursue a career but there wasn’t the guidance. It was rough for me to figure out how to be mentally ready to be a public servant. I started the nonprofit to help other folks.”
Ramey admitted it has been challenging to get people behind what they are doing. “There is a stigma about having been in a fire camp,” he said. But, he said, “we acknowledge we made a mistake.
“Fire camp changed my life. I made a poor choice when I was younger. I have proven that people can change. People need that opportunity,” Ramey said.
FFRP has been in partnership with the Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council since 2020. “We are adamant about providing services on the mountain,” Ramey said. Through the MRFSC, they provide fuel mitigation and chipping services on mountain property.
Ramey reminded the Rotarians they had donated 10 weed whackers to FFRP. “That played a huge part in the development of our fuel mitigation program,” he said.
As for the latest news, Ramey told the Rotarians he has been part of a media frenzy, having been asked to appear on a variety of talk shows.
Ramey appeared in February on the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. When Stewart asked Ramey how he ended up in fire camp, Ramey said the California prisons were overcrowded so he was first transferred to Arizona, then Mississippi. Going to fire camp was an opportunity, he said, to get back to California and see his family.
Royal Ramey, co-founder of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show.
And, he added, “I heard rumors about better food and the dormitory setting.” He also noted that those in fire camp make the most money possible while in prison: $1 per hour.
Ramey told Stewart that being in fire camp gave him an opportunity to know what it feels like to be part of a team. “When you’re fighting a fire, you have to rely on the next person. When you’re out on a fire, you feel a sense of pride and purpose.”
Ramey was also invited to share his story on The Jennifer Hudson Show. When Hudson asked how many formerly incarcerated people FFRP has been able to help, he replied over 300. “We consider ourselves to be the modern-day Harriet Tubman,” he said. “We’re troopers – we can make it happen.”
Hudson’s reply: “Heroes!”
Ramey was joined by two of his graduates: FFRP Captain Jonala Vann and Cal Fire wildland firefighter Christian Guerrero.
FFRP, Guerrero told Hudson, “helped me find purpose in life and provide for my family.”
Vann said she didn’t know where the fire camp path would lead “until I met Chief Ramey and they gave me the opportunity.”
Royal Ramey was joined by FFRP Captain Jonala Vann and Cal Fire firefighter Christian Guerrero on The Jennifer Hudson Show.
The Obama Foundation posted praise for Ramey and FFRP on Facebook:
We’re thinking of everyone impacted by the California fires and are grateful for the firefighters, first responders and community members who have been doing all they can to meet this moment.
One of those leaders is Royal Ramey, who participated in our Obama Leaders USA program and is the co-founder and CEO of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program. Royal and his team have helped more than 300 formerly incarcerated individuals gain the training they need to become employed as firefighters. He says FFRP aims to help ‘break cycles, create opportunities and protect communities.’
Today many of these firefighters are helping take out the California fires and we are thankful for their heroic work.
“I have a passion for wildland firefighting,” Ramey told the Rotarians. “We want to help others gain skills and confidence – that’s what FFRP is all about.”
And, he told both Stewart and Hudson, “we have to change the narrative that prison and public service don’t mix.”
For more information on the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, visit www.forestryfirerp.org.
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