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This summer, only 90 of the State Prison’s 192 fire crews are available to help clear brush and other important firefighting tasks, according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. California fires.
While a number of detained firefighters have been infected, other crews are under quarantine orders. Some firefighters have also been released from jail in recent weeks to reduce overcrowding in prisons and fire camps.
In all, four of the six prisons that train incarcerated firefighters have experienced coronavirus outbreaks of more than 200 cases each, including the California Institution for Women in Corona, which trains female firefighters. This prison had 417 cases.
The shortage has forced the state to enlist members of the National Guard and hire civilian replacements for detainee crews, officials said.
Members of inmate teams – who can earn just over $ 5 a day, plus $ 1 an hour to fight fires – have been strained for several weeks, said Michelle Garcia, coordinator of the program at an inmate fire training center in Ventura County.
“We are neglected and neglected,” she says.
Ms Garcia said crew members drank from the same tap of water and that hand washing, social distancing and wearing masks were afterthought.
“Once the call to fire hits, it’s fire first,” she said. “The fire doesn’t care about COVID.”
Reporting was contributed by Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, Kellen browning, Maria cramer, Henry Fountain, Thomas fuller, Rebecca Griesbach, Lucy tompkins, Maura Turcotte and Alan yuhas.
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