| DOC and ODF Fight Fires Together |
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| Inmates Learn New Skills |
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DOC Inmates Fighting Fire
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The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) has teamed up with the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) to train and mobilize inmate fire fighting crews again this year.
Staff and inmates who participate in the fire fighting operations are trained and qualified to meet national standards, receive yearly training, and will be provided with a certification of program completion.
Training is provided at South Fork Forest Camp (SFFC), a 200 bed minimum-security work camp, located in the heart of the Tillamook State Park. SFFC was constructed in 1951 with the purpose of training crews that could assist with fire suppression, tree planting, cone picking, seed processing, road maintenance and other projects.
The SFFC fire crews respond to 25-to-30 fires per year within the Southwest Oregon area, and oftentimes are mobilized across the state for larger fires each year. In a typical year these fire crews will travel 335,000 miles and will treat over 6,000 acres of ground. SFFC crews are highly sought-after on fires due to their ability to be mobile and get the job done.
DOC has strict criteria for inmates who wish to participate in the program, including restrictions on classification levels and type of offense. Additionally, inmates must also be able to perform the long, hard, strenuous work associated with fighting wildfires.
The result of this partnership between ODF and DOC has resulted in a greater pool of resources to help combat the threat of wildfire and to do so at a great cost-savings to the state of Oregon.
The ongoing successful operation at SFFC is attributed to several key factors:
- Adequate funding by State Forests Program and direct costs for fire suppression borne by the individual districts
- Mutual understanding, acceptance and support of the mission of SFFC by ODF and DOC
- Quality crew supervision; crews who provide supervision have over 250 years of experience with ODF
In addition to the cost savings, minimizing property damage, and preventing forest fires, inmate
fire fighting programs have been proven to help offenders prepare for re-entry into society.
Potential employers recognize the contribution to the public-good made by former inmate fire fighters. Several inmates who have spent time at SFFC and participated in the fire fighting program have gone on to use this training and the skills they have learned after release from prison.
The future goals of SFFC are to continue to provide more education, re-entry classes and support groups for inmates. Work programs such as the SFFC fire crews support the overall goal- and mission-achievement of the Department of Corrections.
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