By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Colver City) is urging members of the Assembly and the Senate, and ultimately the governor, to secure better pay for incarcerated firefighters by including the issue in this year’s budget.
Bryan (/D-Culver City) announced passage of AB 247 out of the Committee on Public Safety with bipartisan support from committee members. It now goes to the Appropriations Committee. AB 247 would raise the pay of incarcerated firefighters who work to protect California from wildfires. It asks for an hourly wage of $19 and for yearly increases. Currently incarcerated crew members are paid $5-10 a day, depending on experience. Forest firefighters make $23 an hour on average.
Thousands of incarcerated crew members were brought out from county jails to fight the devastating Eaton fire in January. The historically Black neighrhood of Altadena was particulary hard hit.
“They have saved our state time and again, and it’s time we show our gratitude with a wage that respects their humanity and heroism.”
Laquisha Johnson, a formerly incarcerated firefighter, was among those sharing their own experiences during last week’s Public Safety hearing,
“They put their lives on the line, to protect communities, but their pay does not reflect the risk of the hard work that they do,” Johnson said.
While fighting a past fire, former incarcerated crew member Eduardo Herrera helped save a correctional officer’s home. Afterward, the man shook Herrera’s hand and expressed his gratitude.
“I don’t know if he knew I was an incarcerated firefighter,” he said.
“But it didn’t matter to me, because at the end of the day, he saw me for the work that I did. The public sees what we’re capable of doing, and we’re seen as heroes,” continued Herrera, who now works with an advocacy group, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition.
Bill supporters echo that bravery should be acknowledged with more than a thank you.
“I wasn’t just fighting wildfires.” Johnson said. “I responded to car accidents, medical emergencies and structure fires. We worked long hours in dangerous conditions, just like other first responders, but we’re paid low wages.”
“Los Angeles was burning,” Bryan said. “Los Angeles might still be burning, if not for the thousands of incarcerated hand crews. They didn’t politicize this crisis. They didn’t look to place blame. They
looked to save lives and to save homes. They put themselves on the front lines, as they have been doing for a century in California…all of our first responders deserve to be compensated justly.”
Assemblymember Bryan has authored legislation to address criminal justice system inequities that disproportionately affect Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. This includes ending prison book bans, ensuring access to menstrual products in prisons, supporting family reunification for incarcerated parents, mandating transparency for juvenile in-custody deaths, and providing educational stipends for formerly incarcerated students.