A common theme for a crew member at a conservation camp is being in nature while making a difference in the community. One such person is Philip Popick, serving his sentence at Gabilan Conservation Camp No. 38.
“I really like just being out in nature and working as opposed to being stuck in a cell (and) stuck in your thoughts all day,” Popick explained. “That’s probably the biggest benefit of being here.”
For Popick, camp is also a means to helping him prepare for his eventual release and reentry.
“I think (being at a camp) sets you up for a career on the outside,” he said.
He is inspired by stories of those who’ve gone through camp, gotten out and are now pursuing careers with other agencies.
“I’d like to go as high as I can,” he said.
Watch the video (story continues below):
Responding to fires
Popick, alongside other fire crews and professional firefighters, has responded to some of the most devastating fires in California history.
“Hearing some of the stories of people on these big fires where all the camps go to, (I was told there) are some high adrenaline moments (and) it’s exciting,” Popick said. “That all turned out to be true. The biggest one we (responded to) was last year’s Park Fire last. We were there for three weeks straight (and) it was a lot of hard work.”
The Gabilan crew also responded to the Palisades Fire.
“We all got a lot of action there in some semi-dangerous situations,” he said.
The positive community response to their actions helped boost morale for the fire crews.
“You get a lot of thank you (messages) and God bless you,” he said. “That feels good. We’re proud to hear that. It gives us motivation to keep going, work hard and help people out.”
Camp crew member prepares for future after release
Aside from fire safety work, Popick also earned his associate degree from Lake Tahoe Community College.
“So that knocked six months off my sentence. Instead of getting out at the end of this year, I’ll be getting out in a few months,” he explained. “I just found that out.”
Looking toward the future, he’s applied to attend the Ventura Training Center to further his chances of finding a firefighting job.
“It’s a parole program for firefighters so I hope to be accepted. At the same time, I’ll apply directly to CALFIRE. If they offer me a job, I’ll take (it) straight away,” Popick said.
As far as the camp program goes, Popick said it’s worth the hard work.
“It’s a great program and I’m happy to be a part of it,” he said. “I’m happy to see where it takes me in the future when I’m released.”
Video by Bernadette Durley, TV specialist
Story by Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor
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