Photo: Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program
Royal Ramey helps people use skills gained in prison to build full-time wildland firefighting careers. He has helped more than 170 formerly incarcerated people join the National Fire Service through his nonprofit Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, co-founded in 2015 with Brandon Smith. They partner with local governments to give on-the-job training, help people with state firefighting applications, and offer a community support system for people navigating the process. The program also provides access to social workers, life skill seminars, and access to housing and mental health care. In 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that makes it easier for prison camp fire crews to have their records expunged in hopes of removing a significant barrier to seeking a job as a firefighter. In April, the pair received a $250,000 private foundation grant to expand the program to other parts of the state beyond Southern California.
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