California’s fire seasons have become more like year-round fire years. For firefighters on the frontlines, safety is the number one priority when wildfires erupt. When these fires strike, there’s often a shortage of civilian firefighters to stop the spread. California has a long history of using incarcerated labor to supplement industries in need of additional assistance- including firefighting. For Gabriel Perez, a formerly incarcerated firefighter, his passion to serve his community by protecting it from fires began while he was incarcerated, and continues every day while he works to keep his community fire safe, even during a pandemic. Roundtable guests: Brandon Smith, co-founder of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, and Jaime Lowe, author of Breathing Fire: Female Inmate Firefighters on the Front Lines of California's Wildfires.

Learn more about FFRP:https://www.forestryfirerp.org/

Learn more about Breathing Fire: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374116187/breathingfire

Episode Transcript:https://app.trint.com/public/3627988c-df1f-4c16-8705-2eeb7ee757db

 Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

California’s fire seasons have become more like year-round fire years. For firefighters on the frontlines, safety is the number one priority when wildfires erupt. When these fires strike, there’s often a shortage of civilian firefighters to stop the spread. California has a long history of using incarcerated labor to supplement industries in need of additional assistance- including firefighting. For Gabriel Perez, a formerly incarcerated firefighter, his passion to serve his community by protecting it from fires began while he was incarcerated, and continues every day while he works to keep his community fire safe, even during a pandemic. Roundtable guests: Brandon Smith, co-founder of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, and Jaime Lowe, author of Breathing Fire: Female Inmate Firefighters on the Front Lines of California's Wildfires.Learn more about FFRP: <a href="https://www.forestryfirerp.org/">https://www.forestryfirerp.org/</a>  Learn more about Breathing Fire: <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374116187/breathingfire">https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374116187/breathingfire</a> Episode Transcript: <a href="https://app.trint.com/public/3627988c-df1f-4c16-8705-2eeb7ee757db">https://app.trint.com/public/3627988c-df1f-4c16-8705-2eeb7ee757db</a> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com">https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com</a>

The Covid-19 pandemic introduced the term “Essential Workers” for a class of people who existed before and will persist long after the virus is gone. Vital to society, but rarely heard from, this “essential” class is often hit hardest by the imbalances and injustices of our culture. In each episode, host Wilmer Valderrama will have intimate conversations with people on the frontlines of the food system, transportation, child-care and other workers who are so often overlooked. That conversation leads to a round-table discussion with activists and politically-active celebrities, discussing themes, issues and areas of needed change. The show seeks to reveal the invisible connections between all of us.

Essential Voices with Wilmer Valderrama

Firefighter Gabriel Perez has dedicated his life to keeping Californians safe from wildfires, a calling that has given him a renewed sense of purpose and an opportunity to be of service to his community.

Fighting Fires For California  

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/493b0cbf-399c-48bf-85ac-ae4b00931503/transcript

Advertisement