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Here's how one formerly incarcerated firefighter hopes to use his skills on the outside
Now that Edmond Richardson is out of prison, he faces a new set of challenges before he can put his firefighting skills to work. He’s hopeful he can land a wildland firefighter role with CalFire. For now, he's keeping in close contact with his incarcerated teammates. KTVU's Tori Gaines reports from Oakland.
OAKLAND, Calif. - As fires continue to rage across the Los Angeles area, 939 incarcerated firefighters and staff have joined the front lines to support the efforts of local fire crews, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed to KTVU.
Edmond Richardson served on those very teams until he was released last year. Now that he’s out of prison, he’s hoping to put those much-needed fire skills to good use.
You may have seen their story on TikTok. Edmond and Avelina Richardson have been sharing their story via TikTok for two years, sharing their visits inside the prison and even announcing their first child together.
December brought a life-changing update—Richardson was released from prison after 14 years.
"Unfortunately after dropping out of high school I committed my first crime, went to prison, served three years. Got out and re-offended, harmed someone else, and received a life sentence for it," Richardson said. "I started as a lifer. I identified as a lifer for the last 13 plus years. And through the work that I did at San Quentin, I was able to be re-sentenced," Richardson told KTVU.
That work included group therapy.
"I was harmed, and I came to the realization that I didn’t want to be a cause of someone else’s harm," Richardson said.
Richardson’s resentencing brought him new options in prison, including applying for CDCR's Conservation Fire Camp. He dove into his work with fire crew 4, and it showed. Richard says he was moved up to first saw.
"First saw is the spear of the team, we’re leading the charge in taking down brush, making a path so the guys behind us can make a four-foot scrape to bare mineral soil to help slow the spread of the fire," Richardson said.
The Richardsons are keeping a close eye on the Southern California fires, and the incarcerated fire crews serving on the front lines.
"It feels weird for me because there’s so many people on social media, and even news outlets talking about incarcerated firefighters, but we just, four months ago, voted against treating them with any sort of dignity, but we’re relying on them so much right now," Avelina Richardson told KTVU.
Prop 6 was brought before California voters in November. They overwhelmingly voted to keep forced labor in California prisons. One expert we spoke to says confusing ballot language didn’t help:
"Many people were just unaware of Prop 6 and what goes on with the incarcerated people and their families, let alone that the language of slavery still exists in the California constitution," McCuan said.
Now that Richardson is out of prison, he faces a new set of challenges before he can put those firefighting skills to work. He’s hopeful he can land a wildland firefighter role with CalFire. For now, he's keeping in close contact with his incarcerated teammates.
"A couple guys gave me a call before they left camp, and I just wished them the best of luck. Be safe and make sure you guys take care of each other….I wish I was with my team right now," Richardson said.
KTVU spoke with a Bay Area fire department that said it isn’t blocking formerly incarcerated folks from serving with its department, but the Emergency Medical Technician certification does.
For many incarcerated people who are released, having a career path and a support system can be the difference between staying out or re-offending.
To learn more about how CalFire works with incarcerated and formally incarcerated people, please visit the department's website.
The Richardson family has a re-entry GoFundMe set up to help support Edmond's transition out of prison. For more on their story please visit Avelina's TikTok page.