ANAHEIM : Inmates May Be Used to Rid Fire Hazards

The Fire Department may hire state inmates to help clear brush in Anaheim Hills to save residents money and reduce the potential fire hazard.

Fire Chief Jeff Bowman said this week that he has not decided whether to hire the prisoners, who have been fully trained as firefighters while serving their sentences at the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco and would also be available to assist city firefighters if a major brush fire broke out in the city.

Bowman said the brush is particularly thick this year because of last winter’s rains and must be cleared. Residents, who are billed for the work by the city, would see substantial savings if the prisoners are used. Bowman said the prisoners are paid $1.65 a day each while private contractors charge $200 an hour. Each prison work crew has 15 to 18 members.

Bowman said that while no inmate assigned to the center’s fire detail has escaped or caused problems while on duty in other communities, he understands that some residents may feel uncomfortable having convicted thieves or drug addicts in their neighborhoods. Murderers, rapists and others convicted of violent crimes are not assigned to the crews. They are watched over by a specially trained fire captain.

“These inmates are at the end of their sentences, so there are good reasons for them to behave,” Bowman said.

As far as the inmates’ firefighting skills, Bowman said: “In brush situations, they are as good as it gets.”

Anaheim Battalion Chief Jim Cox, who has been negotiating with the center about obtaining a fire crew, said inmates selected for the crews have been thoroughly trained and taught discipline.

“They are trained to fight wildfires, and without discipline they know they would be killed,” Cox said. “That discipline carries over into their duties off the fire line. These people are probably as disciplined or, in some cases, more disciplined than people you’ll find in the Marine Corps.”