LA County fire training program offers career opportunity to those seeking second chance at life

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Nearly 800 incarcerated firefighters were on the front lines during the January wildfires.

Their work was inspiring to a new group of young people who are being given a second chance in life and plan to take full advantage of it.

"I thought I was going to die a junkie in the streets, and I accepted that, and then realized that it didn't have to be like that, and things are only impossible if you let them be," said Tiffany Flint, who's part of the first, all female cohort of participants at the L.A. County Training Center Fire Camp.

The eight-month program prepares enrollees for careers in the fire service with access to case management and supportive services.

The program is voluntary and prioritizes applicants coming out of the justice system, foster care or veterans. Anyone who completes the program will earn necessary certifications in wildland and structural firefighting.

"We want to bury our past, but we don't want to be chased with a shovel," said Ladale Hayes, the CEO and Executive Director of Operation Flame. "So, how can we put our past behind us if we're being chased? We want to be able to put the past life behind us and say, 'Hey, I'm qualified here. I have these certifications here, and let us apply and give us a chance."

"When I got out, I didn't know what I was going to do," said trainee Jazmyn Acosta. "I'm back in school, but other than school, I didn't know what I was doing, so with this, it kind of gave me like ... it was like a green light, like, 'Go.'"

Under Gov. Jerry Brown, laws were changed to allow people who leave the criminal justice system to be trained in wildland firefighting and have careers in the field, but there was no training center designed for it in L.A. County.

Now, what used to be a juvenile probation center in Calabasas has now become a training center for trainees to learn fire science. Almost the entire first graduating class was hired by CAL FIRE.

"There are some people who are going to doubt they can do it because of their background or because they're women and they're determined to prove that they can," said retired judge Songhai Armstead, who's the director of L.A. County Justice Care and Opportunity.

"I'm so excited to watch them and support them as we do it, and it's not just training them in fire science. It's also training them in life skills, and training them in parenting, and dealing with all the traumas that may have gotten them into the system in the first place."

The program is offered through L.A. County Justice Care and Opportunities, and trainees now have a more specific path upon graduation.

The Board of Supervisors recently established a career development intern along with other entry-level positions for graduates within the county.

"You can start at the bottom and work your way up and really gain more insight and be able to work across the county," said Supervisor Hilda Solis.

Along with the physical fitness and fire training, the program also provides on-site housing, a monthly stipend and, if needed, record expungement services. Some call that opportunity.

"I was just determined to do something better for my life and for my communities," said Flint.

Acosta echoes that sentiment.

"Personally, this is a way to restart myself," she said. "I'm more than my past."