On Thursday, March 14, the Future Fire Academy held its graduation ceremony for the inaugural class of cadets from the Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP) in Butte County. The MCRP is located in Oroville, about 70 miles north of Sacramento.
The MCRP is a collaborative effort involving:
- Division of Rehabilitative Programs (DRP)
- Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO)
- the Division of Adult Institutions (DAI)
- and community providers.
It is designed to allow eligible inmates to serve up to their last two years of incarceration in the community. This allows them to rehabilitate, learning new skills, adjusting to life on the outside, and becoming productive members of society.
What is the academy?
The Future Fire Academy was founded by Anthony Pedro, a formerly incarcerated firefighter himself.
Pedro created the academy using skills he learned in the California Correctional Center firehouse. He also continued with his training after being released.
The Future Fire Academy normally provides those services to anyone in the community interested in a career in firefighting. Pedro decided he wanted to give back to those individuals who may be in the same situation he was in. So, he contacted CDCR through DAPO.
DAPO connected him with Daniel Ascencion, the Parole Agent II at the MCRP Butte, and from there the program took off. Ascencion and other MCRP staff coordinated with Pedro and within a short time, the fire academy started with eight cadets at the MCRP Butte.
Classes were held at the MCRP Butte where cadets learned about different forest and fire management techniques, animal and plant identification, how to fight wildland fires, CPR and First Aid.
Outdoor activities and practical application were also key to the curriculum where they participated in rigorous physical fitness tests and learned how to operate firefighting equipment and hand tools. The fire academy is eight weeks long. Because the program is only held on weekends, some of the participating cadets also maintained part time employment while attending.
The Future Fire Academy recently earned accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
What do cadets learn?
Program graduates earn certification in:
- Human Factors in the Wildland Fire Service
- Firefighter Type 1
- Introduction to Wildland Fire Behavior
- Portable Pumps and Water Use
- Wildland Fire Chainsaws
- CPR and Public Safety First Aid
- HAZMAT
- Confined Space Awareness
The eight MCRP cadets’ tuition to attend the Future Fire Academy and cost for clothing and equipment was sponsored by Alliance Workforce Development.
Story by Tessa Outhyse, Information Officer
Office of Public and Employee Communications
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