More than 40 fire crews converged on the Ishi Conservation Camp to train for wildland firefighting during the Fire Preparedness Exercise.
CDCR and CALFIRE held the 33rd Annual Fire Preparedness Exercise at Ishi Conservation Camp in Tehama County on May 9.
Those attending included:
- Kim Seibel, CDCR Associate Director – Reception Centers
- Suzanne Peery, California Correctional Center (CCC) Warden
- Steve Cagle, CCC Chief Deputy Warden
- and many other CCC administrators and staff.
During the Fire Preparedness Exercise, 43 fire crews were evaluated for safety performance, physical conditioning, and firefighting knowledge.
The firefighters hiked four miles to the site, constructed fire lines, and deployed fire shelters under simulated emergency conditions.
History of Ishi Conservation Camp
Ishi Conservation Camp was opened in 1961, at which time it was named Plum Creek Conservation Camp. The camp was closed in 1972 during the Vietnam War and the Ecology Corps controlled the grounds.
Between 1972 and 1975, Vietnam War draft resistors were housed on the grounds. In 1975 the camp was managed by the California Conservation Corps. In 1982, it was renamed Ishi Conservation Camp and housed CDCR inmates.
Ishi Conservation Camp is currently operated by nine CDCR staff with 14 California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) staff.
Ishi Camp houses 110 male minimum-custody inmates who make up fire crews as large as 17 men. In addition to the fire crews, there are also those who keep the camp going. They include cooks, porters, clerks, landscapers, maintenance and launderers.
The camp’s mission is to provide fire crews for fire suppression activities in Tehama, Glenn, Shasta, and Plumas Counties. The secondary mission is to produce boxed, ready meals, for all firefighters throughout the state.
The fire crews also provide a work force for conservation and community service projects in the local area.
Some of the projects include
- brushing roads and trails
- fuel breaks
- fence installation and removal
- construction projects
- trash and liter removal
- building maintenance and clean up
- clearing ditches
- flood prevention
- tree removal
- weed abatement
- and snow removal.
In 2017, crews at Ishi worked 92,060 hours on grade projects. Of those, 20,314 were within the community on local projects.
CDCR’s primary mission is rehabilitating people for a successful release from custody. This fiscal year, 27 incarcerated people at Ishi Conservation Camp earned their General Education Diplomas (GED).
Story by Lt. Charlene Billings
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